Domain Email Not Working: DNS and Mail Troubleshooting

Identify what is failing

Check whether you cannot receive messages, cannot send them, or both. Test with more than one external address and save any bounce message. This helps distinguish incoming-mail routing from outgoing authentication or mailbox issues.

Check MX records

MX records tell other mail servers where to deliver messages for your domain. Confirm that the domain's authoritative DNS zone contains the exact MX records supplied by your email provider. If you recently changed nameservers, make sure you edited the active DNS zone rather than an old one.

Check outgoing authentication

Review SPF, DKIM and DMARC using the values supplied by your email service. Make sure there is only one SPF record and that every legitimate sending service is covered. Do not remove records or copy generic values without checking which services use them.

Check the mailbox and application

Confirm that the mailbox exists, is active and has available storage. If receiving works but sending does not, check SMTP settings and authentication in your email app. If neither works, verify credentials, server names, ports and encryption.

Allow for DNS propagation

DNS changes do not update everywhere instantly. Some systems may temporarily use cached records. Check the current authoritative records and allow time for caches to refresh before making repeated changes.

Ask for help

Provide the domain, approximate time the issue began, recent DNS or provider changes, the affected direction (sending or receiving), and the full error message. Never send passwords. Your provider can then check the correct DNS zone and mail-server logs.