Corporate email like info@yourcompany.com looks professional and builds trust. To set it up, you need to configure MX records in your domain's DNS.
MX Records for Google Workspace
# Add to the domain's DNS:
@ MX 1 aspmx.l.google.com.
@ MX 5 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com.
@ MX 5 alt2.aspmx.l.google.com.
@ MX 10 alt3.aspmx.l.google.com.
@ MX 10 alt4.aspmx.l.google.com.MX Records for Zoho Mail (Free Plan)
@ MX 10 mx.zoho.com.
@ MX 20 mx2.zoho.com.
@ MX 50 mx3.zoho.com.Built-in cPanel Mail
If you use mail hosted on ZevsHost (cPanel):
# MX record is already configured automatically:
@ MX 0 mail.yourdomain.com.Create mailboxes: cPanel → Email → Email Accounts.
SPF Record: Spam Protection
# Only Google's servers send mail from your domain:
@ TXT "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all"
# For cPanel mail:
@ TXT "v=spf1 a mx include:yourdomain.com ~all"DKIM: Digital Signature for Emails
DKIM adds a cryptographic signature to every email, confirming its authenticity.
- Google Workspace: Settings → Gmail → Email Authentication → Create DKIM Key
- cPanel: cPanel → Email → Authentication
✅ Without SPF and DKIM, your emails end up in spam. Set up both — and deliverability will rise to 95%+.
| Service | Cost | Mailboxes |
|---|---|---|
| cPanel (ZevsHost) | Included with hosting | Unlimited |
| Zoho Mail | Free (up to 5 mailboxes) | 5 GB/mailbox |
| Google Workspace | $6/month | 30 GB/mailbox |
Common Mail Setup Errors
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 550 5.7.1 "SPF check failed" when sending through a third-party service | A mailing service (e.g., a CRM or online store) sends mail as your domain but isn't listed in the SPF record | Add the service's include: to SPF: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:sendgrid.net ~all |
| Mail is sent but lands in spam at Gmail/Outlook | DKIM or DMARC isn't configured, or the sending IP's reputation is low | Set up DKIM, add DMARC with p=none for monitoring, then move to p=quarantine |
| MX record is set, but mail doesn't arrive at all | Wrong priority is set, or there's a typo in the server name (an extra dot, wrong subdomain) | Check the MX server name exactly matches the mail provider's documentation, including the trailing dot |
| 550 No Such User when sending to an existing address | The mailbox hasn't been created on the server, even though MX already points there | Create the mailbox in the panel (cPanel → Email Accounts) before switching MX, not after |
| Mail delivery delayed by 15–30 minutes | Greylisting on the receiving server — a standard anti-spam defense that temporarily rejects the first message | This is normal behavior; the retry goes through automatically on most mail servers |
DMARC: A Policy for Mail That Fails SPF or DKIM
DMARC tells the receiving mail server what to do with a message that fails SPF or DKIM checks, and where to send reports.
# Monitoring without blocking (first stage)
_dmarc IN TXT "v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com; pct=100"
# Gradual move toward rejection
_dmarc IN TXT "v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com; pct=50"
# Final, strict policy
_dmarc IN TXT "v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com; pct=100"- p=none — mail that fails DMARC is still delivered normally; only reports are collected
- p=quarantine — such mail is routed to the recipient's spam folder
- p=reject — the receiving server rejects the message outright; don't set this right after enabling DMARC
- pct — the percentage of mail the policy applies to; it's safer to raise it gradually from 10–20% to 100%
Verifying Mail Setup
# Check the MX record
dig yourdomain.com MX +short
# Check SPF
dig yourdomain.com TXT +short | grep spf1
# Check DMARC
dig _dmarc.yourdomain.com TXT +short| Tool | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| mail-tester.com | A score from 0 to 10 with a breakdown of SPF/DKIM/DMARC/spam filters |
| mxtoolbox.com | MX, SPF, DKIM, IP blacklists |
| dmarcian.com | Analysis of aggregated DMARC report statistics |
When Not to Keep Mail on Your Own MX
- You don't have time to watch IP reputation and blacklists — running your own SMTP requires constant deliverability monitoring
- Sending volume exceeds what one IP address can handle — marketing mailings need specialized services (SendGrid, Mailgun) with their own reputation infrastructure
- The team already works inside the Google or Microsoft ecosystem — Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 include built-in spam filtering and calendars, so duplicating that on your own server isn't worth it
- You need an SLA guarantee for delivering critical notifications — managed services offer more predictable deliverability than a self-hosted mail server