How to Verify Your Email DNS Records Are Correct

After adding DNS records for your Mailbux domain, you should verify they are published correctly before sending email. Incorrect or missing records cause deliverability problems that can be hard to diagnose later. This guide shows you how to check each record using free lookup tools.

The Tools You Need

These free tools let you look up any domain's DNS records instantly:

MX Lookup — check your MX record
SPF Lookup — check your SPF record
DKIM Lookup — check your DKIM record
SMTP Test — test your outgoing mail server
Blacklist Check — check if your domain or IP is blacklisted

Step 1: Verify Your MX Record

The MX record tells the internet where to deliver email for your domain. Without it, nobody can send you email.

Go to the MX Lookup Tool.
Enter your domain name (e.g. yourdomain.com) and click Lookup.

What correct results look like:

Field	Expected Value
Priority	`10`
Mail Server	`my.mailbux.com`

What wrong results look like: The mail server points to a different hostname, or no MX records are found at all. If you see no results, your MX record has not propagated yet or was not added correctly.

Step 2: Verify Your SPF Record

The SPF record authorizes Mailbux to send email on behalf of your domain.

Go to the SPF Lookup Tool.
Enter your domain name and click Lookup.

What correct results look like:

Your SPF record should contain: v=spf1 include:msg25.com ~all

What wrong results look like:

No SPF record found — you need to add one.
SPF record does not include msg25.com — your emails may be rejected or marked as spam.
Multiple SPF records — you can only have one. Merge them into a single record.

Step 3: Verify Your DKIM Record

DKIM adds a cryptographic signature to your outgoing emails. You need to get the DKIM record value from Mailbux first.

To find your DKIM record in Mailbux:

Log in to Mailbux and go to your Domains page.
Find your domain and open the domain menu.
Click Enable DKIM if it is not already enabled.
Click View DNS Records to see the DKIM TXT record you need to add.

Once you have added the DKIM record to your DNS provider:

Go to the DKIM Lookup Tool.
Enter your domain and the DKIM selector (shown in the Mailbux DNS Records view).
Click Lookup.

What correct results look like: The tool finds a valid DKIM public key for your selector. It will show a TXT record with a p= value (the public key).

What wrong results look like: "No DKIM record found" or "Invalid DKIM record." This means the record was not added, has a typo in the selector name, or has not propagated yet.

Step 4: Test Your SMTP Server

Even if your DNS records are correct, it is worth confirming your outgoing mail server is reachable.

Go to the SMTP Test Tool.
Enter my.mailbux.com as the server and port 587.
Run the test.

What correct results look like: The server responds and accepts the connection on port 587 with STARTTLS.

Step 5: Check for Blacklisting

A blacklisted IP or domain will cause your emails to be rejected or go to spam even if all your DNS records are perfect.

Go to the Blacklist Check Tool.
Enter your domain name or sending IP address.
Run the check.

What correct results look like: No blacklist entries found.

What wrong results look like: Your domain or IP appears on one or more blacklists. Contact Mailbux support if you find a listing — they can help with the delisting process.

DNS Propagation Time

DNS changes do not take effect instantly. After adding or updating a record, wait at least 15-30 minutes before testing. Full global propagation can take up to 48 hours, though most changes are visible within 1-2 hours.

If a lookup tool shows old or missing data, wait a bit longer and try again.

Summary Checklist

MX Lookup — confirms my.mailbux.com with priority 10
SPF Lookup — confirms v=spf1 include:msg25.com ~all
DKIM Lookup — confirms DKIM public key is published
SMTP Test — confirms port 587 STARTTLS is working
Blacklist Check — confirms no blacklist entries