How to Set Up Email for a Custom Domain

Connecting email to a custom domain is mostly about DNS: a handful of records that tell the internet where your mail lives and which servers may send on your behalf. This guide explains each record, where to add it and how to check it works.

How custom domain email works

When someone emails you@yourcompany.com, their mail server looks up the MX record of yourcompany.com to find out where to deliver. When you send, the receiving server checks your SPF, DKIM and DMARC records to decide whether the message is really from you. Get these right and your mail flows smoothly.

Step 1: Find your DNS settings

Log in to the company where you bought your domain (or where its DNS is hosted, such as Cloudflare). Look for "DNS", "DNS records", "Manage DNS" or "Zone file". You'll see a table of records with columns like Type, Name/Host, Value and TTL.

Tip: the "Name" field for the domain itself is usually @. Some registrars want it blank instead.

Step 2: Verify domain ownership

Your email provider needs proof that you control the domain. Usually that's a TXT record with a unique value. In Maililo, add:

• Type: TXT
• Name: _maililo-verification
• Value: the token shown on your domain page

Step 3: Add the MX record

The MX record points incoming mail to your provider. For Maililo:

• Type: MX
• Name: @
• Value: mail.maililo.com
• Priority: 10

Important: delete MX records from any previous email service. If old records remain, some mail will go to the wrong place.

Step 4: Add SPF

SPF is a TXT record on your root domain listing who may send for you. Maililo uses:

v=spf1 mx -all

A domain must have only one SPF record. If you already have one (for example for a newsletter tool), merge them into a single record instead of adding a second.

Step 5: Add DKIM

DKIM records hold public keys that receivers use to check your messages' signatures. They're generated uniquely for each domain, so always copy the exact names and values from your provider. Maililo generates two DKIM keys per domain (Ed25519 and RSA) and shows both on the domain page.

Step 6: Add DMARC

DMARC ties SPF and DKIM together and tells receivers what to do when a message fails. A TXT record at _dmarc, for example:

v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:postmaster@yourcompany.com

If you're nervous about rejecting legitimate mail while you test, you can start with p=none and tighten it later. Learn more in SPF vs DKIM vs DMARC.

Step 7: Verify and test

1. Wait a few minutes, then use your provider's verify button.
2. Send a test from your new address to a Gmail account. In Gmail, open the message, choose Show original and check that SPF, DKIM and DMARC say PASS.
3. Reply from Gmail to confirm incoming mail arrives.

Optional records

Providers often suggest extra records such as autoconfig/autodiscover (automatic mail app setup), SRV records and MTA-STS. They're useful, but basic sending and receiving works without them.

Common mistakes

• Two SPF records — merge them into one.
• Host name doubled — some registrars add your domain automatically, so entering _dmarc.yourcompany.com becomes _dmarc.yourcompany.com.yourcompany.com. Enter only _dmarc.
• Quotes or line breaks copied into values — paste values exactly, as one line.
• Old MX records left in place.

Next steps

Set up your devices with our guides for iPhone, Android and Thunderbird. Or follow Maililo's guided setup — see how it works.

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Prefer guided setup? Use your own domain for email with Maililo — we verify ownership and check every record for you.