Email is not being delivered and you need to confirm the domain’s mail servers.
MX Lookup
Check live mail server records for a domain.
Use MX Lookup to inspect the published mail exchange records for a domain, confirm which mail servers should receive inbound email, and compare priority order before moving to the next email troubleshooting step.
Verify MX records before troubleshooting SMTP, SPF, DKIM, or DMARC issues.
Lookup result
example.com
NOERROR
Priority Mail server TTL
No MX records were returned for this domain by the resolver.
What this MX Lookup tool does
MX Lookup queries the domain’s live MX records and shows which mail servers are currently published for inbound email handling.
Use it to confirm whether MX exists at all, inspect the target mail hosts, and review priority order and TTL values.
It does not confirm SMTP delivery, mailbox acceptance, or email authentication by itself. A correct MX result still needs follow-up testing if mail is failing.
When to use this tool
A new mail provider was configured and you want to check whether the MX change is live.
Inbound mail is going to the wrong service because stale or unexpected MX values are still published.
You need to confirm MX priority order before testing SMTP or mailbox routing.
A domain should receive email, but no mail server answers appear to be configured.
You want to separate a DNS-layer mail issue from an SMTP or mailbox-layer problem.
How to use MX Lookup
- Enter the root domain that should receive email.
- Run the lookup and review the returned mail server records.
- Check priority order and confirm the targets match the intended mail provider.
- Compare the live result with your expected DNS configuration.
- If something looks wrong, continue to propagation, nameserver, or email-auth checks next.
How to interpret MX lookup results
MX record found
Likely meaning: The domain is publishing one or more mail exchange records.
Common causes: This usually means inbound mail routing is configured at the DNS layer.
Next action: Check priority order, target hostnames, and then move to SPF, DKIM, DMARC, or SMTP checks if mail still fails.
No MX record found
Likely meaning: The resolver returned no MX records for the domain.
Common causes: Mail may not be configured, the record may exist in the wrong zone, or the domain may be relying on fallback behavior.
Next action: Verify the exact domain, then check DNS Lookup and nameserver delegation before assuming mail is routed correctly.
Unexpected mail server target
Likely meaning: MX exists, but it points to a host you did not expect.
Common causes: Old provider records, partial migration, or edits made in the wrong DNS provider are common causes.
Next action: Compare the live result with the intended mail provider configuration and then check propagation.
Priority order looks wrong
Likely meaning: Multiple MX records are returned, but the lower preference numbers do not match the intended primary/secondary order.
Common causes: Misordered priorities, copied provider values, or stale backup records can cause this.
Next action: Correct the priority values in the authoritative zone and retest after caches expire.
NXDOMAIN
Likely meaning: The queried domain does not exist in DNS.
Common causes: Typos, expired domains, or querying the wrong hostname instead of the base mail domain.
Next action: Confirm the exact domain name and check DNS Lookup before continuing with mail-specific tests.
SERVFAIL or timeout
Likely meaning: The recursive resolver could not complete the MX query successfully.
Common causes: DNSSEC failures, broken delegation, or authoritative nameserver problems can block MX lookups.
Next action: Verify nameservers and validate DNSSEC before assuming the mail provider is at fault.
Common MX issues this tool helps uncover
Missing MX records for a domain that should receive email
Mail routed to the wrong provider after a partial migration
Stale MX answers during DNS propagation windows
Priority values that do not match the intended primary and backup order
MX published on the wrong hostname or wrong DNS zone
Nameserver delegation mismatch between registrar and DNS host
DNSSEC or resolver failures mistaken for email-service outages
Inbound mail issues where DNS is correct but SMTP still needs testing next
Next steps after MX Lookup
Check SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
Once MX is correct, verify email authentication records to continue mail troubleshooting.
Check DNS propagation
Use this when MX records changed recently and some networks may still see older mail hosts.
Verify nameservers
If the MX result is missing or wrong, confirm the domain points to the expected authoritative nameservers.
Run DNS Lookup
Inspect the broader DNS view for the same domain if you need to compare MX with TXT, A, or NS records.
Related tools
SPF Check
Review SPF records and authorized sending sources for a domain.
DKIM Check
Validate DKIM selectors and public keys for signed email.
DMARC Check
Inspect DMARC policy, alignment, and reporting configuration.
SMTP Test
Test SMTP connectivity and common mail transport responses.
DNS Lookup
Query A, AAAA, CNAME, TXT, and other DNS records for a domain.
NS Lookup
Check authoritative name servers and delegation for a domain.
MX Lookup FAQ
What does MX Lookup check?
It checks the live MX records for a domain and shows which mail servers are published along with their preference values and TTLs.
What input should I enter?
Enter the mail domain such as example.com. Avoid full URLs or mailbox addresses.
Why does my domain show no MX record found?
The domain may not publish MX at all, the record may be configured in the wrong DNS zone, or the lookup may be failing because of delegation or DNSSEC issues.
Does a valid MX result mean email delivery is working?
No. MX confirms the DNS mail-routing layer. You may still need SPF, DKIM, DMARC, SMTP, mailbox, or provider-side checks.
Why are there multiple MX records?
Many domains publish multiple MX records for redundancy, load distribution, or provider requirements. The lowest preference number is usually preferred first.
What should I check after MX Lookup?
Usually SPF, DKIM, DMARC, SMTP connectivity, DNS propagation, or nameserver delegation depending on what looks wrong.