What is the default MX record?

The default MX record on a cPanel hosting account typically follows this format:

Zone name: example.com.
Priority: 0
Record: mail.example.com.

The DNS record “mail.example.com” is typically set up as:

Zone name: mail.example.com.
Type: A
Record: 123.123.123.123 (your server's IP)

How It Works:

1. Priority: The 0 in the MX record indicates priority. Lower numbers have higher priority (i.e., this mail server will be used first).

2. Mail Server: The mail.example.com. part directs email traffic to the mail subdomain of your website, which usually resolves to the same server that hosts your website.

3. A Record Dependency: The mail.example.com hostname needs an A record pointing to the server’s IP address.

How to Check Your MX Records in cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel.

2. Go to Zone Editor (under the “Domains” section).

3. Find your domain and click Manage.

4. Look for MX Records.

Custom MX Records

• If you set up Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, cPanel allows you to change your MX records and the other related records.

• You can configure the email routing in cPanel on the Email Routing page. It is recommended to select Automatically Detect Configuration to detect the ideal routing method. If the detected routing is incorrect, the MX records or other related DNS records could be incorrect.

Updated by SP on 26/02/2025