MX Record Lookup
Enter a domain or an email address to see which mail servers accept its email, in priority order. You get a plain-English verdict on whether the domain can receive mail, and the email provider behind it.
Only the domain is looked up, through public DNS (Cloudflare, with Google as a backup). The part before the @ never leaves your browser.
How to read the results
- Priority
- A number set by the domain owner. Lower numbers are tried first. If two servers share a number, senders spread mail between them. The numbers themselves (1, 5, 10) don't matter, only their order.
- Mail server
- The host name that accepts email for the domain, such as
aspmx.l.google.com. It must be a name, never a bare IP address. - IP addresses
- What each server name points to (its A and AAAA records). A mail server name that doesn't resolve to any address can't receive mail, so it is marked Does not resolve.
- TTL
- How long other servers may remember this answer. After you change MX records, the old ones can linger for up to this long.
What each verdict means
| Verdict | What it means |
|---|---|
| Can receive email | The domain has MX records and every mail server resolves. Mail can be delivered to the domain. |
| Partly broken | Some MX entries point to names that don't exist. Mail still arrives through the working servers, but the broken entries should be removed. |
| No MX records | The domain has no MX records, so mail falls back to the A record: senders try the domain's own web address. That rarely works. |
| Cannot receive email | No MX and no A record, a "null MX" that says the domain takes no mail, or a domain that doesn't exist. Addresses there will bounce. |
Common email providers and their MX records
| Provider | MX records look like |
|---|---|
| Google Workspace | smtp.google.com (newer setups) or aspmx.l.google.com plus alt1 to alt4 |
| Microsoft 365 | yourdomain-com.mail.protection.outlook.com |
| Zoho Mail | mx.zoho.com, mx2.zoho.com, mx3.zoho.com (or .eu, .in) |
| Proton Mail | mail.protonmail.ch and mailsec.protonmail.ch |
| iCloud Mail | mx01.mail.icloud.com and mx02.mail.icloud.com |
| Fastmail | in1-smtp.messagingengine.com and in2-smtp.messagingengine.com |
| Security filters | Mimecast, Proofpoint, Barracuda and similar sit in front of the real mailbox host, so the MX shows the filter, not Google or Microsoft. |
The tool recognises over 40 providers and filters from the MX host names. To see the full email setup, including SPF, DKIM and DMARC, use the DMARC, SPF, DKIM and MX checker.
Related free tools
Related guides on EmailNa
What the MX record lookup does
MX (mail exchanger) records are the part of a domain's DNS that says where its email should be delivered. This tool reads them for any domain, sorts them into the order senders try them, checks that each mail server name really resolves to an IP address, and tells you in plain English whether the domain can receive email. It also names the provider, such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, from the server names.
Benefits
- Domain or email addressPaste [email protected] and the tool checks company.com. You can also paste a website link.
- Sorted by priorityServers are listed in the order senders try them, lowest number first.
- Each server checkedEvery MX host is resolved to its IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, so broken entries stand out.
- Provider detectedGoogle Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoho, Proton, iCloud, Fastmail, Yahoo, GoDaddy, security filters and more.
- Clear verdictCan receive email, partly broken, no MX (falls back to the A record) or cannot receive email.
- Spots special casesNull MX records (a domain that says it takes no mail), domains that don't exist, and MX records that wrongly use an IP address.
- Copy the resultsOne click copies a plain-text summary to paste into a ticket or an email to your IT person.
Who it is for
- A business owner checking that email still works after moving a website or changing DNS hosts.
- Someone setting up Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 who wants to confirm the new MX records are live.
- A marketer checking whether the domains on a signup list can receive email at all.
- A salesperson wondering which email provider a prospect's company uses.
- Anyone whose emails to one company keep bouncing.
How to use it
- Type a domain such as example.com, or paste an email address.
- Press Look up MX or Enter.
- Read the verdict at the top, then the list of mail servers, their addresses and status.
- If something is broken, the fix is made in the domain's DNS settings at its DNS host (often the registrar, such as GoDaddy, Namecheap or Cloudflare).
Your privacy
Your browser asks Cloudflare's public DNS service (or Google's, as a backup) for the domain's records. Only the domain name is sent, never the part of an email address before the @. ListaFix doesn't receive or store your lookups.
Frequently asked questions
What is an MX record?
An MX (mail exchanger) record is a DNS record that names the server that accepts email for a domain, with a priority number. A domain can have several, and senders try the lowest number first.
What does "no MX records" mean?
Without MX records, the email standard (RFC 5321) tells senders to try the domain's A record instead, as if it were the mail server. That only works if a mail server is running on that address, which is rare today, so addresses at such a domain usually bounce. If the domain has no A record either, mail can't be delivered at all.
What is a null MX record?
A single MX record with priority 0 and the host "." (defined in RFC 7505). It is the official way for a domain to say it never accepts email. Mail to it bounces straight away.
Does a valid MX record mean an email address exists?
No. MX records show that the domain accepts mail. They can't tell you whether jane@ or sales@ is a real mailbox. For that, the mail server has to be asked about each address, which is what Veml does for a whole list without sending an email.
How long do MX changes take to show up?
Usually minutes, but other servers may keep the old answer for as long as its TTL (often 1 hour, sometimes a day). This tool asks public resolvers, so it may briefly show the old records too.
Why is the provider shown as a security filter?
Some companies route mail through a filter such as Mimecast or Proofpoint before it reaches Google or Microsoft. The MX records then show only the filter, so the real mailbox provider can't be seen from DNS.
What is "verification MX" in email verification?
Email verifiers start with an MX check: if a domain has no working mail server, every address on it is invalid. It is a quick first filter, and the mailbox check comes after.