MX Lookup - Check MX Records, Mail Servers & Priority for Any Domain
Email that silently bounces usually traces back to one thing: broken or missing MX records. Run a free MX lookup on any domain to see exactly how its mail is routed: every mail exchange server with its priority value, resolved IP address, TTL, and the network behind it, including ASN, operating organization, and abuse contacts.
The tool also returns the domain's A, AAAA, and CNAME records in a raw DNS section and assigns a validation status, so you can check MX records, spot misconfigurations, and confirm a mail migration in one pass. View or export every result as JSON. No signup, no install.
Enter a domain name to lookup MX records
How to Check MX Records with This Tool
To check MX records for a domain with this MX lookup tool:
- Enter a domain name: the part of an email address after the @ sign, such as amazon.com. Skip
https://andwww; the lookup runs against the bare domain. - Run the MX lookup: the tool queries live DNS to find MX records for the domain, then resolves each mail server hostname to its IP address and network details.
- Read the validation status first: Valid, Partial, No Record, or Invalid tells you immediately whether the domain can receive email. Then review each record's priority, IP, ASN, and TTL, or switch to the JSON view to copy the full result.
Understanding Your MX Lookup Results
Every MX record lookup returns a status plus a detailed entry per mail server. Here's how to read each field this MX checker reports:
Record Status
The first thing to check.
- Valid: all MX records are present and properly formatted; the domain is configured to receive email.
- Partial: no MX records found, but other DNS records (A, AAAA, or CNAME) exist. The domain is registered and resolves, but it is not set up to receive email.
- No Record: no MX, A, AAAA, or CNAME records at all; the domain may be unregistered or has no DNS configuration.
- Invalid: one or more MX records are malformed or point to a broken DNS configuration.
Priority
Lower numbers are tried first. A domain with records at priority 10 and 20 delivers to the priority-10 server and falls back to 20 if it's unreachable.
IP Address
ASN, Organization, and Country
Abuse Contacts and Network Range
TTL
How long resolvers cache each record. High TTLs mean MX changes propagate slowly; check TTLs before scheduling a mail migration.
Raw DNS Records
The domain's A, AAAA, and CNAME records in a separate tab, so you can see how the domain itself resolves alongside its mail configuration.
Understanding MX Records
What are MX Records?
MX records (Mail Exchange records) are DNS entries that tell the internet where to deliver email for your domain.
When someone sends you an email, their mail server performs an MX lookup to find out which servers accept mail on your behalf. Without MX records, your domain can't receive email at all.
How MX Priority Works
Each MX record contains two parts: a priority number and a mail server hostname.
The priority value determines which mail server gets tried first. Lower numbers mean higher priority.
For example, if you have two records with priorities 10 and 20, mail servers will try priority 10 first. If that server is down or unreachable, they'll automatically try priority 20.
This system lets you set up primary and backup mail servers for redundancy.
MX Records in Action
Here's what happens when someone emails you at contact@yourdomain.com:
Their mail server queries DNS for yourdomain.com's MX records. It gets back something like '10 mail.yourdomain.com' and '20 backup.yourdomain.com'.
The sending server contacts mail.yourdomain.com first (lower priority number). If that server responds, the email gets delivered there. If it's offline or not responding, the sender tries backup.yourdomain.com instead.
Most domains configure at least two MX records. This ensures email delivery continues even during maintenance or server issues.
Check MX Records from the Command Line
You can run a DNS MX lookup without a browser using tools built into your OS. On Windows, open Command Prompt and run:
nslookup -type=mx amazon.comOn macOS or Linux, use dig:
dig amazon.com mx +shortdig output through three more lookups.