How to manage cPanel Mail Exchanger (MX) records

MX records tell other mail servers where to deliver email for a domain. cPanel’s Zone Editor lets you manage those records when the domain uses DNS hosted on that cPanel server.

Before you change the records

Obtain the exact MX destinations and priorities from your email provider. Check where the domain’s authoritative DNS is hosted; changes in cPanel will not affect live DNS if another provider hosts it.

An MX destination is a mail server hostname, not an IP address or website URL. Lower priority numbers are preferred. Record the existing values before changing them.

Add an MX record

1. Log in to cPanel.
2. Open Domains > Zone Editor.
3. Find the domain and click MX Record.
4. Enter the supplied Priority and mail server hostname in Destination.
5. Click Add an MX Record.

Edit an MX record

1. In Zone Editor, click Manage beside the domain.
2. Filter or locate its MX records.
3. Click Edit beside the intended record.
4. Enter the provider’s priority and destination.
5. Click Save Record.

Delete an obsolete record

Under the domain’s Manage page, locate the exact MX record, click Delete and confirm. Do not remove required backup destinations or delete every record before replacement routing is ready.

Verify mail routing

Check the records at the authoritative DNS provider and allow existing cached values to expire. In cPanel, also review Email Routing so that it matches whether mail is handled locally or by an external provider.

Test incoming mail from an external account. DNS records and the server’s local delivery policy are separate settings.