MX Lookup

Query MX (Mail Exchange) records for a domain to find out which mail servers handle incoming email.

Quick Answer: What MX Lookup Confirms

An MX lookup shows which mail servers a domain advertises for receiving inbound email and the preference order in which they should be tried. It is especially useful after changing email providers, troubleshooting delivery failures, or confirming that backup or secondary mail routes are still published correctly.

Understanding MX Records

MX records define which mail servers are responsible for accepting email on behalf of a domain. Each record has a priority value; mail servers with lower priority numbers are tried first.

A typical configuration uses multiple MX records pointing to redundant mail servers, improving reliability if one server becomes unavailable.

Troubleshooting Email Delivery

  • Confirm that MX records are pointing to the correct mail provider after migrations or DNS changes.
  • Check for outdated or duplicate MX entries that may cause delivery failures.
  • Verify that backup mail servers are still configured and reachable.