How to Add MX Records in Bluehost - Step-by-Step Guide

Bluehost is one of the most popular web hosting providers, and it gives you full control over your DNS records through cPanel. If you're setting up Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or another email provider with your Bluehost-hosted domain, this guide walks you through every step.

Before You Start

You'll need:

• Your Bluehost login credentials
• The MX record values from your email provider (each record has a hostname and a priority number)
• About 10-15 minutes

If you're switching from one email provider to another, your existing MX records will need to be deleted before or during this process. Plan to make the change when you're ready for the cutover, as email delivery may be briefly disrupted during the transition.

Finding DNS Management in Bluehost

Bluehost uses cPanel as its hosting control panel. Here's how to reach your DNS settings:

1. Log into Bluehost at bluehost.com
2. From the main dashboard, click on Hosting in the top navigation (or click your domain name if shown)
3. Click the cPanel button, or look for Advanced in the sidebar
4. Inside cPanel, scroll to the Domains section and click Zone Editor (sometimes called DNS Zone Editor)
5. If you have multiple domains, find the correct domain and click Manage

You'll now see a list of all DNS records for your domain. Look for any existing MX records; they'll have "MX" in the Type column.

Removing Old MX Records

If you're switching email providers, delete your existing MX records before adding new ones. Mixing records from two providers causes email to route unpredictably.

1. In the Zone Editor, find each MX record in the list
2. Click the Delete button on the right side of that row
3. Confirm the deletion when prompted
4. Repeat for all existing MX records

If you're setting up email for the first time on this domain, there may not be any MX records to delete, or Bluehost may have set up default records pointing to their own mail servers. Delete those too if you're using an external email provider.

Adding MX Records

Once the old records are cleared:

1. In the Zone Editor, click the Add Record button (or look for a "+ Add" option)
2. Set the Type dropdown to MX
3. Fill in the fields:
   • Name: Enter @ to represent your root domain (some interfaces show your domain name here automatically)
   • Priority: Enter the priority number from your email provider
   • Destination/Value: Enter the mail server hostname from your email provider
4. Click Add Record or Save
5. Repeat this process for each MX record your email provider requires

Adding Google Workspace MX Records in Bluehost

Google Workspace requires five MX records. Add each one separately:

| Priority | Mail Server (Destination) | |---|---| | 1 | aspmx.l.google.com | | 5 | alt1.aspmx.l.google.com | | 5 | alt2.aspmx.l.google.com | | 10 | alt3.aspmx.l.google.com | | 10 | alt4.aspmx.l.google.com |

After adding all five, you should see them all listed in your Zone Editor. The order they appear in the list doesn't matter; priority determines the delivery order.

Note: Google's setup wizard checks that your MX records are configured correctly. Once you've added all five records and they've propagated, the Google Workspace setup will confirm your domain.

Adding Microsoft 365 MX Records in Bluehost

Microsoft 365 uses a single MX record unique to your domain. The exact hostname is generated for your specific domain and looks like:

yourdomain-com.mail.protection.outlook.com

Replace yourdomain-com with your domain name using hyphens instead of dots (so example.com becomes example-com). Microsoft provides your exact MX record value in the Microsoft 365 admin center:

1. Log into admin.microsoft.com
2. Go to Settings > Domains
3. Click your domain name
4. Select the DNS records tab to see your exact MX record value

Then add the record in Bluehost with:

| Priority | Mail Server (Destination) | |---|---| | 0 | yourdomain-com.mail.protection.outlook.com |

Use priority 0 as Microsoft recommends.

Setting Priority Values

Bluehost accepts any numeric value for MX record priority. Lower numbers indicate higher priority and are tried first. Follow your email provider's recommended values exactly, because providers like Google verify that the priority numbers match their specifications.

If you accidentally entered a wrong priority, you can edit the record by clicking the pencil/edit icon next to it in the Zone Editor.

Verifying Your MX Records

After saving your records, verify them with mxrecordchecker.com. Enter your domain name and check:

• All required MX records appear
• The mail server hostnames are exactly correct (no typos)
• The priority numbers are correct
• The servers show as responding

DNS propagation from Bluehost typically takes 15 minutes to a few hours for changes to be visible globally. If the checker doesn't show your new records immediately, wait 30 minutes and try again.

Once the records appear correctly, send a test email from an external address to your domain to confirm end-to-end delivery is working.

Common Issues with Bluehost MX Records

Bluehost Mail Is Still Active

If you were using Bluehost's built-in email hosting, switching to an external provider requires more than just changing MX records. You may also need to disable Bluehost's email accounts for your domain to avoid conflicts. Check under Email > Email Accounts in cPanel.

Records Revert After Saving

Bluehost's cPanel occasionally requires you to confirm changes through a secondary save step. If your records aren't appearing in the checker after 30+ minutes, go back to the Zone Editor and verify they're actually listed there.

"Invalid Hostname" Error

Make sure you're entering the mail server hostname without a trailing slash, without http://, and exactly as provided by your email provider. These hostnames should end in .com or similar, not in a path.

Email Still Going to Wrong Server

If you deleted old records and added new ones but email still routes incorrectly, the old records may still be cached in DNS. This resolves on its own as the TTL (time to live) of the old records expires. For most records this takes under an hour, though sometimes up to 48 hours.

Bluehost Nameservers vs. External DNS

This guide assumes your domain is using Bluehost's nameservers. If your domain uses external nameservers (Cloudflare, for example), you'll need to add MX records at that provider, not in Bluehost's Zone Editor. Check your domain's nameserver settings at your registrar to confirm where your DNS is managed.

After Setup: SPF and Other Records

MX records handle inbound email routing, but your email provider also needs you to set up outbound authentication records:

• SPF record: Tells the internet which servers are allowed to send email on your domain's behalf. Check yours at spfrecordcheck.com.
• DKIM record: A cryptographic signature your email provider gives you to prove emails are genuine.
• DMARC record: A policy record that ties SPF and DKIM together. Check at dmarcrecordchecker.com.

Your email provider's setup documentation will include instructions for all of these additional records.