Effective email communication is critical for business success. Proper MX (Mail Exchange) records setup is key to ensuring your emails are delivered smoothly, without delays, and avoiding spam folders.
In this article, we’ll examine Google Workspace MX records—what they are, why they matter, how to configure them, and best practices for avoiding common pitfalls.
MX records, or Mail Exchange records, are DNS (Domain Name System) records responsible for directing emails sent to your domain to the correct mail servers. When someone sends you an email, the sender's server checks the recipient’s MX records to determine which server should receive the email.
These records are especially crucial for businesses that rely on custom domains (e.g., yourname@yourcompany.com).
With Google Workspace, MX records ensure your emails are correctly routed through Google’s mail servers (Gmail) for seamless delivery. Without properly configured MX records, your emails may not be received or might end up in spam folders.
Setting up the correct MX records for Google Workspace is essential for several reasons:
Google provides official MX records to be added to your DNS settings. You can find these directly within your Google Admin Console under the instructions for email setup.
Here are the default Google Workspace MX Records:
For the current Google Workspace version, which is 2023 and later, you can use only one MX record to set up Gmail. The one below is the latest version. If you are changing your MX record or setting up a new one,
SMTP.GOOGLE.COM (Priority: 1)
Note: Don’t change your MX records if your current version works fine. The legacy versions will continue to work.
For legacy versions of Google Workspace which are before 2023:
If you need to update or modify your MX records, follow these steps:
Log into your domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Bluehost) and navigate to the DNS management settings.
Remove any old or conflicting MX records from your DNS settings.
Use Google’s official records (listed above). Make sure the priority values are set correctly, as lower numbers have higher priority.
Save the changes and allow 24-48 hours for DNS propagation to ensure the updates take effect across the internet.
You should update your MX records if:
If Gmail is working, you shouldn’t update or change your MX records, as this could cause email to bounce.
MX records are crucial in email deliverability, ensuring emails are routed properly and authenticated. Here’s how they help:
Assign the appropriate priority levels (lower numbers = higher priority).
Ensure no conflicting MX records are present in your DNS settings.
Changes may take up to 48 hours to propagate fully, so be patient.
Tools like MXToolbox help verify your MX setup and diagnose delivery issues.
Ensure MX records complement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC settings for better security.
If your emails aren’t being delivered correctly, here are some common issues to troubleshoot:
Double-check that your records match Google’s official values.
DNS updates can take up to 48 hours to reflect globally.
Ensure authentication protocols are configured correctly.
Verify that your domain is not blacklisted.
This tool allows you to test MX records and diagnose real-time issues.
Tools like DNS Checker or MXToolbox can confirm if your MX records are configured correctly.
Look for incorrect priorities or mismatched records in your DNS settings.
Regularly reviewing reports ensures your emails aren’t bouncing or landing in spam.
Setting up Google Workspace MX records is essential for ensuring reliable email delivery and enhanced security. Properly configured records ensure emails reach their intended recipients, reduce bounces, and improve email deliverability.
Following best practices, such as using tools like MXToolbox for verification and aligning your MX records with SPF/DKIM protocols, will keep your email infrastructure running smoothly.
Regarding email deliverability, Smartlead has you covered with their new SmartDelivery solution. It helps you understand exactly where your emails are landing, how each email account performs, and even which email copy works best for you.
You should check the 14-day free trial to see how it’s a game changer for email deliverability.
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Smartlead is a robust cold emailing software designed to transform cold emails into reliable revenue streams. Trusted by over 31,000 businesses, Smartlead excels in email deliverability, lead generation, cold email automation, and sales outreach. A unified master inbox streamlines communication management, while built-in email verification reduces bounce rates.
Additionally, Smartlead offers essential tools such as CNAME, SPF Checker, DMARC Checker, Email Verifier, Blacklist Check Tool, and Email Bounce Rate Calculator for optimizing email performance.
Our "unlimited mailboxes" feature allows you to expand your email communications without restrictions imposed by a mailbox limit. This means you won't be constrained by artificial caps on the number of mailboxes you can connect and use. This feature makes Smartlead the best cold email software and empowers you to reach a wider audience, engage with more potential customers, and manage diverse email campaigns effectively.
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The "unibox" is one of the unique features of Smartlead cold email outreach tool, and it's a game-changer when it comes to managing your revenue cycle. The master inbox or the unibox consolidates all your outreach channels, responses, sales follow-ups, and conversions into one centralized, user-friendly mailbox.
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Smartlead, the best cold email marketing tool, ensures your emails reach the intended recipients' primary inbox rather than the spam folder.
Here's how it works:
1. Our "unlimited warmups" feature is designed to build and maintain a healthy sending reputation for your cold email outreach. Instead of sending a large volume of emails all at once, which can trigger spam filters, we gradually ramp up your sending volume. This gradual approach, combined with positive email interactions, helps boost your email deliverability rates.
2. We deploy high-deliverability IP servers specific to each campaign.
3. The ‘Warmup’ feature replicates humanized email sending patterns, spintax, and smart replies.
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Yes, our cold emailing software is designed to significantly improve your email deliverability rates. It enhances email deliverability through AI-powered email warmups across providers, unique IP rotating for each campaign, and dynamic ESP matching.
Real-time AI learning refines strategies based on performance, optimizing deliverability without manual adjustments. Smartlead's advanced features and strategies are designed to improve email deliverability rates, making it a robust choice for enhancing cold email campaign success.
Smartlead enhances cold email personalisation through advanced AI-driven capabilities and strategic integrations. Partnered with Clay, The cold remaining software facilitates efficient lead list building, enrichment from over 50 data providers, and real-time scraping for precise targeting. Hyper-personalised cold emails crafted in Clay seamlessly integrate with Smartlead campaigns.
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Certainly, Smartlead cold email tool is designed for seamless integration with a wide range of tools and platforms. Smartlead offers integration with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Clay, Listkit, and more. You can leverage webhooks and APIs to integrate the tools you use. Try Now!
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No, there are no limitations on the number of channels you can utilize with Smartlead. Our cold email tool offers a multi-channel infrastructure designed to be limitless, allowing you to reach potential customers through multiple avenues without constraints.
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Smartlead is the cold emailing tool that facilitates seamless integration with existing CRM systems and other tools through robust webhook and API infrastructure. This setup ensures real-time data synchronisation and automated processes without manual intervention. Integration platforms like Zapier, Make, and N8N enable effortless data exchange between Smartlead and various applications, supporting tasks such as lead information syncing and campaign status updates. Additionally, it offers native integrations with major CRM platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive, enhancing overall lead management capabilities and workflow efficiency. Try Now!
No. Smartlead distinguishes itself from other cold email outreach software by focusing on limitless scalability and seamless integration. While many similar tools restrict your outreach capabilities, Smartlead offers a different approach.
Here's what makes us uniquely the best cold email software:
1. Unlimited Mailboxes: In contrast to platforms that limit mailbox usage, Smartlead provides unlimited mailboxes. This means you can expand your outreach without any arbitrary constraints.
2. Unique IP Servers: Smartlead offers unique IP servers for every campaign it sends out.
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We're here to assist you! You can easily get in touch with our dedicated support team on chat. We strive to provide a response within 24 hours to address any inquiries or concerns you may have. You can also reach out to us at support@smartlead.ai