Mxroute Dns

SPF Record (required — authorizes MXroute to send for your domain)

Type: TXT   Name: @    Value: v=spf1 include:mxroute.com -all

Rules:

• Only ONE SPF record per domain
• If you have other services sending email, merge them: v=spf1 include:mxroute.com include:_spf.google.com -all
• Use -all (hard fail) not ~all (soft fail) for best deliverability

DKIM Record (required — cryptographically signs your emails)

Type: TXT   Name: x._domainkey   Value: (copy from Control Panel → DNS → select domain)

Notes:

• Each domain has a unique DKIM key
• The key is long — copy it exactly
• Some DNS providers need quotes removed
• Selector is always x

DMARC Record (strongly recommended — tells receivers how to handle auth failures)

Type: TXT   Name: _dmarc   Value: v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:[email protected]

Policy options:

• p=none — monitor only (good for initial setup)
• p=quarantine — send failures to spam (recommended)
• p=reject — reject failures entirely (strictest)

Domain Verification (one-time, during domain addition)

Type: TXT   Name: @    Value: (verification key from Control Panel → DNS)

Can be removed after domain is successfully added.

Custom Hostnames (optional — use your own domain for mail/webmail)

Type: CNAME   Name: mail      Value: tuesday.mxrouting.net
Type: CNAME   Name: webmail   Value: tuesday.mxrouting.net

After adding CNAMEs: Control Panel → SSL Certificates → select domain → verify → request certificate.

Important: Use CNAME, not A records. Server IPs may change.

Domain Alias DNS

If alias.com is an alias of primary.com, configure the SAME MX, SPF, and DKIM records for alias.com.

Verification

• Use the DNS Tester in Control Panel to validate MX, SPF, DKIM
• External tools: whatsmydns.net for propagation, mail-tester.com for full email test
• DNS propagation: typically 5-30 minutes, can take up to 48 hours

Common DNS Mistakes

1. Multiple SPF records — only one TXT record starting with v=spf1 allowed; merge them
2. Wrong DKIM selector — must be x._domainkey, not default._domainkey or others
3. DKIM key truncated — some DNS providers have character limits; use multiple strings if needed
4. MX pointing to IP — MX records must point to hostnames, not IP addresses
5. Missing relay MX — always add both priority 10 (primary) and priority 20 (relay)
6. Using A record for custom hostname — use CNAME so it follows server IP changes
7. SPF with ~all instead of -all — use hard fail (-all) for best results
8. Forgetting DMARC — without DMARC, receivers have no policy guidance for auth failures

DNS Provider-Specific Notes

When helping users, ask which DNS provider they use. Common ones:

• Cloudflare: Proxy (orange cloud) must be OFF for MX/mail records; use DNS-only (grey cloud)
• Namecheap: Use "Advanced DNS" tab; TXT records go in the "Value" field
• GoDaddy: May need to remove default "parked" MX records first
• Google Domains/Squarespace: Straightforward TXT/MX record interface
• Route53: Use quoted strings for TXT records

Quick Checklist for Users

Ask the user to confirm:

• Server name from Control Panel
• MX record (priority 10) pointing to (server).mxrouting.net
• MX record (priority 20) pointing to (server)-relay.mxrouting.net
• SPF: v=spf1 include:mxroute.com -all (single record, merged if needed)
• DKIM: x._domainkey TXT record with key from Control Panel
• DMARC: _dmarc TXT record with at least v=DMARC1; p=quarantine;
• No conflicting/duplicate records
• DNS Tester in Control Panel shows all green
• mail-tester.com score of 10/10