MX Records

An MX record routes email for your domain to a mail server. Each MX record has a priority (a preference number) and a mail server hostname. Mail delivery tries the lowest priority number first.

Fields

Field	Example	Notes
Name	@	Usually the apex, so mail addresses are @your-domain.
Type	MX
Priority	10	0 to 65535. ZCP prefers lower values. Required for MX.
Content	mail.example.com.	The mail server hostname. End it with a trailing dot.
TTL	3600	Seconds.

Caution

MX records need a priority. Set it in its own field, not inside the mail server value. The API requires priority for MX and rejects it for every other type.

Create

Console: choose type MX, set Priority and the mail server value in their own fields.

@ MX 10 mail.example.com. 3600

CLI (MX requires --priority):

zcp dns record-create --domain examplecom --name @ --type MX \
  --content mail.example.com. --priority 10 --ttl 3600

API (send priority as a separate field):

curl -s -X POST "https://api.zcp.zsoftly.ca/api/dns/domains/examplecom/records" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your-token" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -d '{ "name": "@", "type": "MX", "content": "mail.example.com.", "priority": 10, "ttl": 3600 }'

Verify

dig MX example.com +short
# 10 mail.example.com.

Several Mail Servers per Name

A name and type hold several values. Creating a second MX record at @ adds it to the set. Publish a primary and a backup mail server on the same name. Give each its own priority. A lower number is preferred. See Several values per name and type.

Notes

• Priority is separate. Do not put the number in the value (10 mail.example.com.). The console, CLI, and API each take priority in its own field.
• The mail server needs an address. The MX target must resolve to an A or AAAA record. It cannot point at a CNAME.
• A 0 priority is valid and is sent correctly.

See also: TXT records for SPF and DKIM, Worked examples, Record types