How to Add MX Records in Hostinger

The short answer. Open the DNS records in Hostinger, add one record of type MX for each mail server your email provider lists, with host @, the mail server name and its priority. Remove old MX records that point to a previous provider.

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What MX Records Do#

MX records say which servers accept email for your domain. Senders pick the server with the lowest priority number first and fall back to the next. A domain with no MX records, or with the wrong ones, cannot receive mail.

Check Where Your DNS Is Managed#

A record only works at the company that answers DNS for the domain, which is not always the one you bought it from. Open DNS / Nameservers for the domain. If the nameservers listed are not Hostinger’s, records added on the DNS records tab are ignored.

The MX Record to Add#

smtp.google.com   priority 1

Use the exact values your mail provider gives you. Two common ones:

Providers with several servers give a list. Add one MX record for each, with the priority they specify.

Step by Step in Hostinger#

Step 1. Open your domain

Sign in to hPanel, open Domains and click Manage next to the domain.

Step 2. Open DNS / Nameservers

Choose DNS / Nameservers in the left menu and stay on the DNS records tab.

Step 3. Add a record

Under Manage DNS records use the form at the top: choose the Type first, then the other fields appear.

Step 4. Enter the MX record

Choose MX as the type and fill in the fields:

• Name: @
• Mail server: smtp.google.com
• Priority: 1
• TTL: Leave TTL at the default.

The value to copy:

smtp.google.com   priority 1

Step 5. Save

Click Add Record. Hostinger lists it straight away.

Change or Replace MX Records#

To switch mail provider, delete the old MX records and add the new ones. Mixed providers split mail between two inboxes, and some of it is lost. Find the record in the list and use the pencil icon to edit it or the trash icon to delete it, then click Update.

Do the change when you can test it right away: send a mail from outside and check it lands. Update the SPF record to allow the new provider too, see the SPF guide for Hostinger.

Common Mistakes#

• Leaving the old provider’s MX records in place. Mail then arrives at either provider, depending on the sender.
• Typing an IP address as the mail server. It must be a host name.
• Entering the mail server with your domain appended, or a trailing dot the form does not want. Enter it exactly as given, and look at how it appears in the list.
• Mixing up the priority. The lowest number is tried first, so 0 or 1 beats 10.
• Forgetting SPF. New mail servers also need to be allowed to send, otherwise outgoing mail lands in spam.
• Adding a record on a domain whose nameservers belong to a hosting plan or another company. Check Nameservers first; the records tab only works for the nameservers in use.
• Leaving an old, conflicting record from a previous mail setup in place. Remove it when you add the new one.

Check That It Worked#

Look up the MX records of the domain. They should list the new servers only. Send a test email to the address from an outside account and confirm it arrives. Changes show up as caches expire, usually within minutes for a record and up to two days for nameservers, see how long DNS propagation takes.

More Hostinger DNS Guides#

• How to Add a DMARC Record in Hostinger
• How to Add an SPF Record in Hostinger
• How to Add a TXT Record in Hostinger
• How to Change Nameservers in Hostinger

The same task elsewhere: Namecheap, GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Squarespace.

Menu names last checked October 2026. Providers rename things now and then; if a label differs, look for the closest match.