How to Add MX Records in Squarespace

The short answer. Open the DNS records in Squarespace, 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 Settings for the domain. If Domain Nameservers says Use custom nameservers, the DNS is managed elsewhere and records added under Custom records have no effect.

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 Squarespace#

Step 1. Open the domain

Sign in at account.squarespace.com, open Domains and click the domain. Domains that came from Google Domains are managed here too.

Step 2. Open DNS Settings

Click DNS in the domain’s menu, then DNS Settings. Scroll to Custom records.

Step 3. Add a record

Under Custom records click Add record. A row opens with the type first.

Step 4. Enter the MX record

Choose MX as the type and fill in the fields:

• Host: @
• 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 Save. The record joins the Custom records list.

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. Click the record in Custom records, change it and click Save. Use the trash icon to delete it. Records created by a Squarespace product or preset are managed from that product.

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 Squarespace.

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 the record while custom nameservers are set. It saves, but nothing queries Squarespace for it.
• Trying to edit a preset record, for example the ones for Google Workspace. Remove the preset first, then add your own.

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 Squarespace DNS Guides#

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

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

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