Set up MX records for Google Workspace

When someone sends you an email, the sender's computer looks up the MX records for your email domain, like @your-company.com, to figure out where to deliver it. After you sign up for Google Workspace, you need to update your domain's MX records so email messages get delivered to Google's mail servers, and then to your inbox.

To set up your Google Workspace MX records, you need to complete the following steps:

1. Add Google’s MX record in your domain host
2. Activate Gmail in the Google Admin console

Step 1: Add Google's MX record to your domain

Google's MX record value is smtp.google.com. You need to add this record into your domain settings so your domain host knows to send incoming mail to Google for delivery.

Popular domain host instructions

General instructions

1. Sign in to the website where you bought and manage your domain. This is where you can change your domain's MX records.
2. Go to your domain's DNS settings. Look for something like DNS Records, Domain Management, or Name Server Management.
3. Find the MX records.

   You might see some MX records already listed. Remove any other MX records. Your email might not work correctly if you keep old or incorrect MX records.

4. Add a new MX record, using the following values:
    

   Type	MX
   Name / Host / Alias	Leave this blank, or enter @ If you're adding a subdomain to an existing Google Workspace account, enter the subdomain value in this field. (Example: For the subdomain support.your-company.com, you would enter support)
   TTL	Use your domain host's default value, or enter 1
   Priority	1
   Value / Answer / Destination	smtp.google.com Important: Follow your domain host’s preferred format. For example, some domain hosts require a period at the end (smtp.google.com.). Other domains have a preset option you can choose without typing anything.

5. Save your new MX record.
6. Wait for the changes to take effect. It can take up to 72 hours for the new MX records to be recognized.

Step 2: Activate Gmail in the Admin console

1. Sign in with an administrator account to the Google Admin console.

   If you aren’t using an administrator account, you can’t access the Admin console.

2. Go to Menu  Account > Domains > Manage domains.

   Requires having the Domain settings administrator privilege.

   If you recently signed up for Google Workspace, you can use the Setup tool.
3. Click Activate Gmail for the domain you want to update. Then, follow the steps on screen.

   Remember: It can take up to 72 hours for new MX records to be recognized.

Troubleshooting steps

• Make sure your domain ownership is verified: Before you can set up Gmail, you need to verify ownership for your domain or subdomain.
• Double-check your entries: Make sure you typed everything correctly, following your domain host’s preferred format. For example, some domain hosts require a period at the end (smtp.google.com.) while others include the priority and destination in the same line (1 smtp.google.com).
• Wait 72 hours: It can take some time for MX record changes to be recognized across the internet.
• Run diagnostic tools: You can use the Admin Toolbox Dig tool to see if the MX records published to the internet for your domain match the values in this article. In the Name field, enter your domain name without "www." (your-company.com).
• Contact your domain host's support: They can help you troubleshoot any issues with your DNS settings.