What is the purpose of the MX record?
The Mail Exchange or MX record is in charge of storing the information needed to determine which mail server should receive emails sent to a specific domain name.
Can you guess how many emails are sent every hour via the Internet? And how will they all be delivered to the right person?
Well, this work involves a variety of actors and steps (like the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol or SMTP). However, the mail exchange record is crucial for the final stage since it indicates the proper path for messages to take in order to reach their destination by indicating which mail server must receive the emails.
Multiple MX records are typically present in domain names as a safety measure. Different TTL values should be configured for them. Consequently, if a server fails, the cache of a different resolver will function.
How does it function?
The MX record operates efficiently. To illustrate it, we’ll use dnsrecord.co.uk as an example. So let’s start.
Stage 1: An attempt is made to send an email to mail@dnsrecord.co.uk by an outbound email server user. The domain name, in this example, dnsrecord.co.uk, is recognized by the outgoing mail server, which then queries it to learn where its name servers are.
Step 2: In response, mdnsf.com provides one or more MX records that outline which servers can receive mdnsf.com email (e.g., contact.dnsrecord.co.uk, blog.dnsrecord.co.uk, etc.).
Step 3: The sender asks for the servers’ IP addresses, MX records, and information on which host or hosts are in charge of email delivery. Once he obtains the IP, he can send the email to mail@dnsrecord.co.uk (for example, 5.8.33.10).
What if you don’t have any MX records?
The MX records will direct email delivery for your domain to the mail servers. The senders will only know where to send the messages if you have this pointer. It is comparable to not having a mailbox at your home. They either fall short or attempt to send emails with priority 0 directly to the domain name, such as example.com, and its IP address (IPv4 or IPv6). There is no assurance of delivery.
How helpful could the MX record be?
A rogue domain with an active MX record poses a far greater threat in today’s world. Future email attacks can use as a launchpad to steal money, infect your corporation’s networks with spyware or phishing scams, or grant criminals access to your organization’s internal operations.
MX records might indicate early warning flags that your business might be the target of spear phishing attacks. Then, you can take an instant action to stop any emails from potentially harmful sites. As soon as an MX record is set off, immediate, determined action is needed to reduce the risk and eliminate the threat.
Conclusion
Understanding the DNS MX record and how it functions is really simple. We hope that this information aids you in your job and enables you to properly configure DNS MX records so that you can receive emails that have difficulties.