Using a Domain with Another Provider's Mail Servers (Editing MX Records)
If you want to use a IONOS-registered domain with email accounts of another provider, you can specify the corresponding mail servers in the DNS settings of your domain.
Using Different Mail Servers
To do this, you must define the mail servers of the external provider in the MX records of your domain. You use these to determine which mail servers are responsible for receiving emails for this domain.
Your email provider can tell you which mail servers you need to specify for your domain.
Checking DNS Settings for Existing MX Records
You can check your current MX records right in the Domains & SSL section of the Control Panel.
Click on the gear symbol for the desired domain under Actions and select DNS.
Check whether an MX record already exists.
If an MX record has already been added to the DNS settings, check the entered value. If the MX record belongs to a service, it must be deactivated.
Editing Your MX Records
You can edit existing MX records at any time. To do this, simply follow these steps:
Log in to IONOS and go to the Domains & SSL section.
Next to the desired domain, click the gear symbol under Actions and select DNS.
Next to the desired MX record and click Edit Record under Actions.
Optional: Enter the desired host in the HOSTNAME field, for example @ or a subdomain. The @ character is used as a placeholder in this case and ensures that the domain is called with www and all subdomains.
In the Points to field, enter the appropriate record, such as mx1.mailprovider.com.
Optional: Specify the desired priority in the Priority field, such as 10 or 20. If you use several mail servers, you can use the priority to determine which mail server is preferred. The mail server with the smallest priority code is given highest priority. Then, the mail server with the next higher priority is selected if the first mail server is not or cannot be reached. If the priority is the same for both, the decision is made randomly.
Optional: Select the desired TTL.
Click Save.
Your changes are effective at IONOS immediately. It can take up to an hour for the change to be updated worldwide due to the decentralized structure of the Domain Name System.
Adding MX Records
To add a new MX record, simply follow these steps:
Log in to IONOS and go to the Domains & SSL section.
Next to the desired domain, click the gear symbol under Actions and select DNS.
Click ADD RECORD and select the entry MX.
In the Host name field, specify the desired host, such as @ or a subdomain. The @ character is used as a placeholder in this case and ensures that the domain is called with www and all subdomains.
In the Points to field, enter the appropriate record, such as mx1.mailprovider.com.
Enter the desired value in the Priority field, for example 10 or 20. If you are using several mail servers, you can use the priority to determine which mail server is preferred. The mail server with the smallest priority is given highest priority. Then, the mail server with the next higher priority is selected if the first mail server is not or cannot be reached. If the priority is the same for both records, the decision is made randomly.
Optional: Select the desired TTL.
Click Save.
Your changes are effective at IONOS immediately. It can take up to an hour for the change to be updated worldwide due to the decentralized structure of the Domain Name System.