How to set up email on your own domain

What you need

• A domain, for example company.com. If you have a website, you probably have one already.
• An email provider that lets you use your own domain.
• Access to DNS, the settings for your domain at the registrar where you bought it.

DNS is your domain's address book. It says where your website lives and where email for the domain should be delivered. You only change the email part, so your website stays where it is.

1. Add the domain at your email provider

Enter your domain at the new provider. You'll get a list of DNS records to add. Keep that list open while you do the rest.

2. Prove the domain is yours

The provider needs to know the domain belongs to you. This is usually done with a TXT record, a short piece of text you add to DNS:

company.com.   TXT   "provider-verification=abc123"

The provider gives you the text. Once it's in place, press «Verify».

3. Create the mailboxes

Create a mailbox for each person, like ola@company.com. Also think about the addresses customers write to:

• Shared mailboxes like hello@ and invoices@, where several people can read and reply.
• Aliases, extra addresses that deliver to a mailbox that already exists.

4. Point the MX records to the new provider

MX records tell the rest of the world which server receives email for your domain. When you change them, new email starts arriving at the new provider.

company.com.   MX   10   mx1.provider.com.
company.com.   MX   20   mx2.provider.com.

The number is the priority: the lowest is tried first. Remove the old provider's MX records, so email doesn't end up in two places.

5. Add SPF, DKIM and DMARC

These three records prove that email from your domain is genuine. Without them, your email lands in spam more often. We have a separate guide: SPF, DKIM and DMARC explained.

6. Test that everything works

• Send an email from a Gmail or Outlook address to your new address.
• Reply, and check that the reply lands in the inbox, not in spam.
• In Gmail you can open the email, choose «Show original» and see SPF, DKIM and DMARC marked PASS.

7. Set up your apps

Sign in to the email app on your computer and phone. If you use your phone's built-in mail app, you often need an app password from the provider instead of your normal password.

How long does it take?

The setup itself usually takes less than an hour. DNS changes typically spread within minutes to a few hours, but it can take up to 48 hours depending on the TTL.

Frequently asked questions