MX record is one of the most popular DNS records that you should be aware of. Each domain-related operation you wish to carry out necessitates the use of DNS records for assistance. So let’s go over what it’s for and why it’s important.
MX record – definition
MX is an abbreviation for mail eXchange record. DNS records are necessary for directing the execution of various DNS processes. A DNS mail exchange record (MX) is a resource record used by the Domain Name System to appropriately point to the exact name of the incoming email server to which emails must be forwarded. You’ve figured it out! The MX record identifies the server that is in charge of receiving emails addressed to a specific domain.
How to start managing MX records for your domain name?
Have you ever considered how many emails are sent on a daily basis via the Internet? From the initial transmission to the final delivery, several phases are involved. But let’s concentrate on the last section. Once the mailman arrives at your location (domain), he will require a mailbox to deposit the letter. It may get chaotic if you don’t have a safe place to store all of the communications you get. Some may be lost, your neighbor’s dog may bite others, others may be ruined by rain, and so on.
How does it work?
The MX record works in a simple way. We’ll take the example mdnsf.com to demonstrate it. So, let’s begin.
Step 1: An outbound email server user attempts to send an email to mail@mdnsf.com. When the outgoing mail server sees the domain name, in this case mdnsf.com, it will query it to see where its name servers are located.
Step 2: mdnsf.com responds with one or more MX records, which specify which servers are allowed to receive mdnsf.com email (e.g., contact.mdnsf.com, blog.mdnsf.com, etc.).
Step 3: The sender obtains the MX records, determines which host or hosts are responsible for receiving emails, and requests the servers’ IP addresses or addresses. He can send the email to mail@mdnsf.com after he has the IP (for example, 124.16.213.58).
Structure of MX record
MX is a straightforward DNS record that includes the following elements:
- TYPE: MX record
- HOST: mdnsf.com
- POINTS TO: mail@mdnsf.com
- PRIORITY: 20 – The importance of the mail is indicated by a number ranging from 0 to 65535. A lower number indicates a higher priority.
- TTL: 1m – time-to-live value
What’s the point of having it?
The MX records will point to the mail servers that will receive your domain’s emails. The senders will not know where to send the messages if this pointer is absent. It’s the equivalent of living in a house without a mailbox. They will either fail or attempt to send emails directly to the domain name, such as mdnsf.com, and its IP address (IPv4 or IPv6) with priority 0. There is no assurance of delivery.
Conclusion
We can infer that it’s really important to know what MX record is and why it is beneficial. So, please don’t waste time and implement it into your Domain Name System.
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