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

Porkbun has built a reputation for being one of the more affordable and user-friendly domain registrars around. If your domain is registered with Porkbun and you want to set up a third-party email service like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, you will need to add MX records through their DNS management interface.

This guide walks you through the process from start to finish.

Before You Start

Confirm that your domain is actually using Porkbun's DNS. If you registered your domain at Porkbun but then pointed it to Cloudflare's nameservers, for example, you would need to manage DNS at Cloudflare instead.

You can check this in your Porkbun account under Domain Management and look at the nameservers listed for your domain. If they show Porkbun's nameservers (typically curitiba.ns.porkbun.com and similar), you are in the right place.

Also gather the MX record values from your email provider before starting. You will need the mail server hostname(s) and priority number(s). Your provider's setup documentation will have these.

Accessing the DNS Management Page

1. Log into your account at porkbun.com
2. Click Account in the top navigation, then Domain Management
3. Find your domain in the list and click the down arrow to expand its options
4. Click DNS to open the DNS records management page

Porkbun's DNS interface is clean and straightforward. You will see a list of existing records and a form to add new ones.

Removing Default Email Forwarding Records

Porkbun often sets up default email forwarding when you register a domain. These forwarding rules create their own MX records behind the scenes, and they will conflict with the MX records you are about to add.

Before adding new MX records, scroll down on the DNS page to check for any existing MX records. If you see Porkbun's default records (they typically point to fwd1.porkbun.com or similar), delete them first:

1. Find each existing MX record in the list
2. Click the Delete icon (trash can) next to it
3. Confirm the deletion

If you also have email forwarding set up under Email Forwarding in your domain settings, disable that too. Forwarding rules and custom MX records do not play well together.

Adding MX Records

Once you have cleared any old records, use the form at the top of the DNS page to add new ones:

1. Set the Type dropdown to MX
2. Enter the Host: use @ for your root domain, or leave the field blank (Porkbun accepts either)
3. Enter the Answer: this is the mail server hostname from your provider
4. Enter the Priority: the number your provider specifies
5. Leave TTL at the default (600 or 3600 is fine)
6. Click Add

Repeat for each MX record your provider requires. Some providers need only one; others need several.

Adding Google Workspace MX Records

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

Host: @  |  Answer: aspmx.l.google.com       |  Priority: 1
Host: @  |  Answer: alt1.aspmx.l.google.com  |  Priority: 5
Host: @  |  Answer: alt2.aspmx.l.google.com  |  Priority: 5
Host: @  |  Answer: alt3.aspmx.l.google.com  |  Priority: 10
Host: @  |  Answer: alt4.aspmx.l.google.com  |  Priority: 10

After adding all five, your DNS records list should show five MX entries for your domain. Google uses the priority 1 server as the primary delivery point and the others as backups. The multiple records give you resilience.

Adding Microsoft 365 MX Records

Microsoft 365 uses a single MX record unique to your domain. The format is:

Host: @  |  Answer: yourdomain-com.mail.protection.outlook.com  |  Priority: 0

Replace yourdomain-com with your actual domain name, replacing the dot with a hyphen. So example.com becomes example-com.mail.protection.outlook.com.

Find the exact value in your Microsoft 365 admin center under Settings > Domains > [your domain] > DNS records. Do not guess; copy it directly from there.

Verifying Your MX Records

After saving your records, go to mxrecordchecker.com and enter your domain name. The tool will show you what MX records are currently published for your domain.

If you see your new records listed correctly, the DNS change has taken effect. If you still see old records or nothing at all, DNS propagation may still be in progress. Give it 15-30 minutes and check again.

Porkbun's DNS is generally quick to update, often reflecting changes within a few minutes. Full global propagation can take up to 48 hours in rare cases, but most changes are visible within an hour.

How Long Does Propagation Take?

After adding MX records in Porkbun, you will typically see the records appear in MX lookup tools within a few minutes. However, different DNS resolvers around the internet may take longer to pick up the change, up to 24-48 hours in some cases.

During this propagation window, some incoming email may still try to deliver to your old mail servers. This is normal. If you are switching providers, keep your old email accessible for a day or two after the change.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

My new records are not showing up

Wait at least 15-30 minutes after adding records before checking. If they still do not appear, verify that you clicked Add after filling in the form for each record (it is easy to fill in the fields and forget to submit).

I see both old and new MX records

You did not fully remove the old records before adding new ones. Go back to the DNS management page and delete any records that should not be there. Having conflicting MX records from different providers will cause unpredictable email delivery.

Google or Microsoft says my MX records are wrong

Double-check that you typed the mail server hostname exactly as provided in your email provider's documentation. Common mistakes include adding or missing a dot, mistyping aspmx as aspx, or using the wrong priority number. Use mxrecordchecker.com to compare what you have published against what your provider requires.

My email forwarding stopped working

If Porkbun's built-in email forwarding was delivering mail to you before and it stopped after adding custom MX records, that is expected. Custom MX records override the forwarding feature. You would need to configure forwarding at your new email provider instead.

Next Steps After Adding MX Records

MX records tell the internet where to deliver your email, but a complete email setup also includes:

SPF record: authorizes your email provider to send on your behalf. Add a TXT record at @ with the value your provider specifies.

DKIM: a cryptographic signature that proves emails actually came from your domain. Your provider will give you a CNAME or TXT record to add.

DMARC: a policy record that tells receiving servers what to do with email that fails SPF or DKIM checks.

Your email provider's setup guide will walk you through each of these.