MX Lookup
Find a domain's mail-exchange (MX) records - which servers accept its email, with priorities - and diagnose why mail goes where it does.
Updated September 2026 · Written and verified by Akash Pandey
MX Lookup
How to use the MX lookup
- Enter the domain, e.g.
gmail.com. - Click Look up - the MX hosts and their priority values are listed.
- Lower numbers are tried first; the priority column explains the failover order.
Frequently asked questions
What is an MX record?
A Mail Exchange record tells other mail servers where to deliver email for a domain. Each has a priority - the lowest number is the primary mail server.
Why do I have multiple MX records?
Redundancy. If the primary (lowest-priority) server is down, senders try the next. This is the standard way to build resilient inbound mail.
How do I fix email delivery problems?
Check that MX records point to your mail provider (Google Workspace, Outlook, your host) exactly as their documentation says, that no stray legacy records remain, and that no two hosts claim equal priority unexpectedly.
Are MX records shown with TTLs?
Yes - TTLs indicate how long mail servers cache the answer, which matters when you are moving email providers.
Is the lookup private?
Queries go to Cloudflare's encrypted DNS-over-HTTPS endpoint; no lookup history is kept.
What is an MX record preference or priority number?
The priority number tells sending mail servers which mail host to try first. Lower numbers indicate higher priority.
Why does a domain have multiple MX records?
Multiple MX records provide redundancy and failover so that incoming email can still be delivered if one mail server is down.
Can a domain receive email without an MX record?
According to RFC standards, if no MX record exists, mail servers may attempt delivery to the domain primary A record as a fallback.