Also known as: Mail Exchange Record
A DNS record that tells other servers which mail server is responsible for receiving email for a domain.
An MX (Mail Exchange) record is a DNS entry that names the server responsible for accepting email on behalf of a domain. When you send to [email protected], the sending server looks up example.com's MX records to find where to deliver the message. A domain can list several MX records with priorities for failover.
MX records are the first real verification signal beyond syntax: if a domain has no MX records (and no usable fallback A record), it cannot receive email at all, so every address there is invalid. This check is fast and definitive.
A valid MX record only proves the domain can receive mail, not that a specific mailbox exists — that requires an SMTP probe.
The standard protocol mail servers use to send and receive email across the internet.
The process of checking whether an email address is real, correctly formatted, and able to receive mail before you send to it.
An email-authentication standard that lets a domain list which servers are allowed to send mail on its behalf.
See it in action
Check any address against BounceShift's multi-layer engine — syntax, MX, disposable, and role checks free, with full SMTP verification on signup.