What is an MX record?
An MX record (short for Mail Exchanger) is a type of DNS record that tells the internet which mail server should receive email messages sent to addresses at a specific domain. When someone sends an email to user@example.com, the sending server looks up the MX records for example.com to find out where to deliver the message.
MX records are essential for the proper routing of email. Without them, mail servers wouldn't know where to send emails, and delivery would fail. Each MX record points to a mail server's domain name, not its IP address directly, and includes a priority value that determines the order in which servers are tried.
A domain can have multiple MX records with different priorities. This allows for redundancy (if the primary server is down, another can take over) and load distribution across multiple servers. The lowest number indicates the highest priority—so an MX record with priority 10 will be tried before one with 20.
MX records must point to a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) that resolves to an IP address, not directly to an IP. They're managed through your domain's DNS settings, usually configured at your registrar or DNS hosting provider.
About this tool
This tool lets you instantly look up the MX records for any domain name. Enter a domain in the field above and the tool will query its DNS to display all configured mail exchanger records. For each MX record, you'll see the mail server address and its priority level, giving you a clear view of how email delivery is routed for that domain.
It's useful for diagnosing email delivery issues, verifying if mail is configured correctly or checking whether a domain uses third-party email services like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. The results update in real time, with no need for additional software or command-line access.