MX records tell other mail systems where to deliver mail for a domain. Use the exact mail-server names and priorities supplied by your email provider; adding an MX record does not create mailboxes or configure the mail server itself.

Prepare the mail change

Record the current MX set and the intended replacement. Check whether a forwarding/email-routing feature manages those records before editing them. Coordinate a provider change so existing delivery is not disrupted by deleting records prematurely.

Open the domain’s records through My Tools in the client portal, then the DNS manager in the client area, or through Cloudflare DNS → Zones → Records as staff.

Enter the provider’s records

1. Filter by MX and review the current names, targets and priorities.
2. Choose Add record → MX, or edit the intended existing MX record.
3. Enter the Name, usually @ when the provider asks for the domain root.
4. Enter the supplied Priority and Mail server hostname separately. The target is a hostname, not a URL or IP address.
5. Set the intended TTL and save.
6. Add the other MX records required by the provider and verify the full final set.

A lower priority value is preferred. Preserve the priorities the provider supplied rather than assigning a different order because a hostname looks more important.

Check DNS-only mail targets

The MX record is DNS-only. If its target is a hostname in a zone you manage, that mail hostname also needs the correct DNS-only destination. Cloudflare’s email troubleshooting guide explains why proxying a mail hostname can affect delivery.

Do not change a working website’s proxy setting when the issue concerns a separate mail hostname. If routing-managed records are protected, your hosting team should review its routing feature instead of bypassing the record editor.

Verify delivery and authentication

Check the published MX answer and test incoming mail through your mail provider’s normal process. DNS caching and mail-server configuration can cause different symptoms; retain the exact bounce/error if delivery fails.

Use the SPF, DKIM and DMARC guide for the provider’s separate authentication records. Those do not replace MX delivery records.

Check the mail routing records

Your hosting team and mail administrator should compare the complete MX set and priorities, target hostnames, DNS-only target addresses and any Email Routing ownership with the mail provider’s intended configuration. Separate the authoritative answer and cached lookup from mailbox, SMTP or delivery failures; changing a working website proxy is not a repair for a separate mail hostname. Review a routing-managed record through its owning feature rather than bypassing protection.

See the PD Cloudflare DNS Blesta guide for related tasks, or explore the module.