How to set up a professional email address on your own domain

An email address at your own domain, such as hello@yourbusiness.com, looks more professional than a free webmail address, and it stays yours even if you change email providers. Setting it up involves an email provider and a few DNS records.

What you need

• Your domain, with access to its DNS settings.
• An email provider that hosts mailboxes for your domain. Many web hosting plans include email, and there are also dedicated business email services. Compare storage, the number of mailboxes, spam filtering, mobile apps and price.

How it works

When someone sends you an email, their mail server looks up your domain's MX records. These tell the world which servers accept email for your domain. Pointing your MX records at your email provider is what makes mail arrive there.

Step 1: Create your mailboxes

In your email provider's dashboard, add your domain and create the addresses you want, for example your own name, plus general addresses such as hello or support. Some providers let you create aliases, extra addresses that deliver to an existing mailbox, which can be cheaper than separate mailboxes.

Step 2: Add the MX records

Your email provider will give you one or more MX records, each with a priority number. In your domain's DNS settings:

1. Remove any old MX records that point to a previous email service, unless you're deliberately running both during a migration.
2. Add the new MX records exactly as provided, including the priority numbers.

Step 3: Add the records that keep you out of spam

Modern email relies on a few extra records that prove your messages are genuine. Without them, your email is far more likely to land in spam, or be rejected.

• SPF is a TXT record listing which servers are allowed to send email for your domain. Your provider gives you the value. A domain should have only one SPF record; if you use several services that send email for you, combine them into one record.
• DKIM adds a digital signature to your outgoing messages. Your provider gives you a record, usually a TXT or CNAME, to add.
• DMARC is a TXT record that tells receiving servers what to do with messages that fail the checks above. A cautious start is a policy that only reports problems, which you can tighten later.

Each provider's setup guide shows the exact values. Add them all; many providers won't fully activate sending until they're in place.

Step 4: Test

• Send a message from your new address to a personal address at a large webmail provider, and check that it arrives in the inbox, not spam.
• Reply to it, to check incoming mail.
• Many email providers show a status page confirming that your MX, SPF and DKIM records are detected.

Moving from an old email setup

If you already have email on the domain, plan the switch:

1. Set up the new mailboxes first.
2. Lower the TTL on your MX records a day in advance, if your DNS provider allows it, so the change takes effect faster.
3. Switch the MX records.
4. Keep the old mailbox accessible for a few days, as some messages may still arrive there while the change spreads.
5. Move old messages across with the new provider's import tool, if needed.

Keep it working

• Renew the domain on time. If the domain expires, your email stops.
• Keep the records in place when you change web hosting. Moving your website is a common way to break email by accident, especially if you change nameservers.
• Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication on mailboxes.

Your domain is the foundation of your email, so it's worth choosing a name you'll be happy with for years. If you're still looking, browse names that are for sale.