Names.co.uk: Set up G Suite MX records

Important: If you purchased your domain from Google when you signed up for G Suite, you don’t need to set up Gmail, you can start using it now. If you’re signed in to the Google Admin console, in the top right, click the App Launcher App Launcher and then Gmail Gmail.

Change your MX records to start using G Suite

You’re now ready to verify your domain (if you haven’t already) and set up Gmail as your business email for your domain (yourcompany.com).

To do this, you need to sign in to your domain host and direct the email for your domain to the G Suite servers. It’s like registering your new address with the post office when you move so that your mail gets delivered to the right place. We’ll walk you through the process.

Before you begin

You should have already:
  • Verified that you own your domain.

    Or, you can verify now with an MX record. We’ll show you how.

  • Created user accounts in G Suite for your team.

    If your team members already use email with your domain, you have to create their user accounts in G Suite before you change the MX record settings for your domain. Otherwise, they won't be able to send or receive messages with their business address in Gmail. You can create accounts for new users later.

If you're in the Setup Wizard shown below, skip to Setup Wizard instructions below. 

Create new MX records for G Suite step

If you're not in the Setup Wizard shown above, follow these steps to open the Setup Wizard:

  1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

    Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

  2. From the Admin console Home page, go to Domains.

    To see Domains, you might have to click More controls at the bottom.

  3. Click Add/remove domains.
  4. Click Set up Google MX records for your domain.

    Set up Google MX records link

  5. Skip to Setup Wizard instructions below to add G Suite MX records.
  6. When you're done adding MX records, go back to the wizard and click I have completed these steps. This tells Google it's time to look for your domain's new MX records.

Let's Get Started

These instructions walk you through updating MX records to your names.co.uk domain. Names.co.uk not your domain host? See instructions for other hosts.

Open the Setup Wizard
  1. If you verified your domain and are still signed in to your Admin console, skip to step 2.

    If you signed out of your Admin console, sign back in by entering your G Suite email address (this email address ends with @yourcompany.com, and is not an @gmail.com address) and your password at admin.google.com.

  2. At the top of the Google Admin console (Dashboard), click Set up Gmail.

    Set up Gmail button

    If you don't see this Wizard, you can still set up your MX records directly from your Admin console. To do so, click Domains, and then click Set up Google MX records for your domain. You can then choose your domain host from the drop-down list to see the instructions to set up your MX records. (Can't see Domains in your Admin console? Click More Controls.)

    Set up Google MX records link

  3. Confirm by clicking Set up email.

    Set up email button

  4. You should now see the Log in to your domain host's website step in the G Suite Setup Wizard.

    Log in to your domain host’s website

Setup Wizard Instructions

1. Log in to your names.co.uk account
  1. Leave the G Suite Setup Wizard open.
  2. Open a new browser window and go to the names.co.uk site at names.co.uk.

    Two browser windows are shown. Window 1 is for the domain host site, and window 2 is for the Google Setup Wizard.

    Whenever you see the G Suite icon in these instructions, you’ll complete that step in the G Suite Setup Wizard.
  3. On the names.co.uk site, click Log in at the top. 

    Login button

  4. Enter the account username and password that you created when you purchased your domain from names.co.uk, and click Log in.

    If you don’t know your account information, you can reset your password or contact names.co.uk support.

    Account Log In dialog box

  5. In the G Suite Setup Wizard, check the I have successfully logged in box.

    I have successfully logged in

Click below for the next step.
2. Go to the names.co.uk domain settings
  1. In the names.co.uk site, click Control Panel at the top.

    Control Panel button

  2. Click the domain name that you want to set up with G Suite.
  3. Under the Domain Registrant Details section, click DNS Settings.

    DNS Settings link

  4. In the G Suite Setup Wizard, check the I have opened the control panel for my domain box.

    I have opened the control panel for my domain checkbox

Click below for the next step.
3. Delete existing MX records
  1. Scroll down to Mail exchange records. Select an existing MX record under the Result column, and click the Delete key on your keyboard to remove it. Repeat the process to remove the Priority value.

    Select existing MX records for deletion

  2. Repeat the previous step to remove all existing MX records and their priorities. Don't worry, you'll add new ones in the step below.

    all MX records deleted

  3. In the G Suite Setup Wizard, check the I have deleted existing MX records box.

    I have deleted existing MX record checkbox

Click below for the next step.
4. Add new MX records

To direct your email to your G Suite account, you have to add new MX records to your domain. These are the records that you'll need to add:

MX server address Priority
ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM. 1
ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM. 5
ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM. 5
ALT3.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM. 10
ALT4.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM. 10
Note: The values are the G Suite mail servers. We include 5 servers in case one fails or requires maintenance.
  1. In the Result field, enter ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM. Include the period (.) at the end of the MX record.

    Result field

  2. In the Priority field, enter 1.

    Priority field

  3. Leave the Host name field empty.
  4. Click the Add MX Records button to add more empty fields, if necessary.

    Add MX Records button

  5. Repeat Steps 1-4, entering the remaining values (MX Server address) from the table above, and setting the Priority values respectively.

  6. Skip this step if you already verified your domain by another method (such as TXT record, HTML file, or meta tag).

    If you need to verify your domain:

    1. Find the unique MX verification record provided by the G Suite Setup Wizard.
    2. Copy the entire record (ends in mx-verification.google.com) and paste it in the Value/Answer/Destination/Target column.
    3. Make sure the record's priority is set to Low or to 15 or greater.

    MX records table with the verification record at the top.

  7. After all of the records have been added, click Save.

    Save button

    The page refreshes and a confirmation message appears at the top.

    Confirmation message: Please allow 24-48 hours for changes to take effect.

  8.  In the G Suite Setup Wizard, check the I created MX records with these values box.

    I created MX records with these values checkbox

Click below for the next step.
5. Complete MX records setup
  1. In the first tab or window, return to the G Suite Setup Wizard.
  2. Click through any confirming steps in the wizard.
  3. Click Verify or I have completed these steps to tell Google to look for your new MX records.

Congratulations! Your business email for your domain is now directed to the G Suite mail servers.

Note:

  • The records can take several hours to update, so you might not immediately get new email messages in Gmail. Until then, you'll continue to receive messages at your old email provider.
  • If you see the MX records setup validation in progress message in the Admin console for more than a few hours, make sure you entered the MX address records and priorities correctly in the DNS records stored with your host.
  • If you still need help changing your MX records, contact G Suite support.
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