Add MX Records in Hostinger | MX Record Checker

Hostinger is one of the most popular web hosts for small businesses, and like all hosting providers, it includes a DNS management panel where you can control your domain's records. If you've signed up for a third-party email service like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, you'll need to update your MX records in Hostinger to point email at your new provider.

This guide walks through the entire process step by step using Hostinger's hPanel interface.

Before You Start

Before logging into Hostinger, gather the following:

The MX record values from your email provider. When you sign up for Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoho Mail, or any other business email service, they give you a list of MX records to add. Have that list open in another tab.
Access to your Hostinger account. You'll need to log in as the account owner or as a user with DNS management permissions.
A few minutes of patience. After saving DNS changes, they take time to propagate, typically 15 minutes to a few hours, though it can occasionally take up to 48 hours.

If you're switching from Hostinger's own email hosting to a third-party provider, you'll also want to note your current MX records before deleting them, just in case you need to reference them later.

Finding the DNS Zone Editor in hPanel

Hostinger's DNS settings are found through the hPanel dashboard:

Log into your Hostinger account at hpanel.hostinger.com
From the main dashboard, click on Domains in the left sidebar
Find the domain you want to configure and click Manage next to it
In the domain management page, look for DNS / Nameservers in the navigation (it may also appear as DNS Zone Editor)
Click to open the DNS Zone Editor

You'll see a list of all current DNS records for your domain, grouped by type. Scroll down until you find the section labeled MX Records. This is where you'll make your changes.

Removing Old MX Records

If your domain currently has MX records (whether from Hostinger's default email hosting or from a previous provider), you'll want to delete them before adding new ones. Leaving old MX records in place alongside new ones can cause email delivery to split between two providers unpredictably.

For each existing MX record:

Click the Edit button (pencil icon) or Delete button next to the record
If deleting, confirm the deletion when prompted
Repeat for every existing MX record

If you're only adding a third-party email service and your domain had no MX records before (common with fresh domains), you can skip this step.

Adding Google Workspace MX Records

If your email provider is Google Workspace, add these five records. In the DNS Zone Editor, look for an Add Record button or a form to create a new MX entry.

For each record, you'll fill in three fields: Name (or Host), Mail Server (or Points To), and Priority.

Add the following records one at a time:

Name: @    Mail Server: aspmx.l.google.com          Priority: 1
Name: @    Mail Server: alt1.aspmx.l.google.com     Priority: 5
Name: @    Mail Server: alt2.aspmx.l.google.com     Priority: 5
Name: @    Mail Server: alt3.aspmx.l.google.com     Priority: 10
Name: @    Mail Server: alt4.aspmx.l.google.com     Priority: 10

The @ symbol in the Name field represents your root domain (so yourbusiness.com rather than a subdomain like mail.yourbusiness.com). Enter each record, save it, and then add the next one.

Adding Microsoft 365 MX Records

If you're using Microsoft 365 (Outlook/Exchange email for business), Microsoft provides a single custom MX record specific to your domain. You'll find it in the Microsoft 365 admin center under Settings > Domains > your domain > DNS records.

The record looks like this:

Name: @    Mail Server: yourdomain-com.mail.protection.outlook.com    Priority: 0

Replace yourdomain-com with your actual domain name, substituting hyphens for dots (so example.com becomes example-com). Microsoft shows you the exact value in your admin portal. Copy and paste it to avoid typos.

In Hostinger's DNS Zone Editor, add this as a single MX record with the exact hostname Microsoft provides and a priority of 0.

Setting Priority Values

Priority numbers tell incoming mail servers which of your MX records to try first. Lower numbers mean higher priority, so priority 1 is tried before priority 5, and priority 5 before priority 10.

When you're adding multiple records with the same priority number (like Google's two alt records at priority 5), that's intentional. Equal priorities create load balancing, and incoming mail is distributed randomly between those servers.

Hostinger's form accepts numeric priority values. Enter the exact numbers your email provider specifies. If there's a minimum value and your provider's value is below it, contact Hostinger support, though this is rare.

Dealing with Hostinger's Own Email Service

Hostinger offers its own email hosting as part of some plans. If you've been using Hostinger Email, it comes with pre-configured MX records that point to Hostinger's mail servers.

When you switch to a third-party provider like Google Workspace, you need to delete Hostinger's default MX records. Otherwise, email may continue routing to your old Hostinger mailboxes instead of your new provider.

After deleting Hostinger's MX records and adding your new ones, also check whether Hostinger's email product is still active on your account. You don't need to cancel it to make DNS work, but keeping an unused email product active may incur charges depending on your plan.

If you later want to go back to Hostinger's email, they can provide the correct MX values to restore.

Verifying Your Changes

After adding all your MX records and saving, give the changes at least 15-30 minutes to start propagating. Then go to mxrecordchecker.com and enter your domain name.

The tool will show you every MX record currently published for your domain. Confirm that:

Your new provider's mail server hostnames are listed
The priority values match what you entered
Your old provider's records are no longer showing

If your old records are still visible, DNS propagation may still be in progress. Wait another 30 minutes and check again. Full global propagation can take up to 48 hours in some cases, though it's usually much faster.

Once the MX checker shows your new records, send a test email to your domain from an external address (like a personal Gmail or Yahoo account). Confirm it arrives in your new inbox.

Common Issues with Hostinger DNS

"I added the records but nothing changed." DNS changes take time. If it's been less than an hour, keep waiting. If it's been more than 24 hours and the MX checker still shows wrong records, log back into hPanel and verify the records saved correctly. Hostinger's interface occasionally requires an explicit save click.

"There's no @ symbol option." Some versions of Hostinger's DNS editor use your domain name itself in the Name field rather than @. Try leaving the Name field blank or entering your domain name directly if @ isn't accepted.

"I see both old and new MX records." You didn't fully delete the old records. Go back into the DNS Zone Editor and remove any MX records from your previous provider. Having duplicate records causes unpredictable email routing.

"My email was working before but broke after adding records." This can happen if you accidentally deleted a record you shouldn't have or entered a hostname incorrectly. Go back to mxrecordchecker.com to see what's currently published, cross-reference with your email provider's documentation, and correct any errors.

After Setup: SPF and DKIM Records

MX records get email to your provider's servers, but you'll also want to set up SPF and DKIM records to improve email deliverability and prevent your messages from being flagged as spam.

Your email provider's setup documentation will include SPF and DKIM values to add in the same DNS Zone Editor. SPF is added as a TXT record, and DKIM is also a TXT record with a specific subdomain name your provider will specify.

These records don't affect whether email arrives in your inbox, but they significantly affect whether email you send makes it into recipients' inboxes rather than their spam folders.

How to Add MX Records in Hostinger - Step-by-Step Guide