What Exactly is an MX Record?
A Mail Exchanger (MX) record is a type of DNS resource record that specifies the mail server responsible for accepting email messages on behalf of a domain. Without a valid MX record, a domain cannot receive email. For anyone involved in email marketing or server administration, understanding how these records work is fundamental to ensuring high deliverability. If your emails are bouncing with "Domain not found" or "No mail server" errors, the issue almost always lies in the DNS configuration.
How EmailVerifierAPI.com Validates MX Health
Verification begins with a DNS lookup. Our system checks for the existence of MX records and analyzes their priority settings. However, simply having an MX record isn’t enough to guarantee deliverability. Some domains have "misconfigured" records that point to non-existent servers or "parked" domains that are no longer active. EmailVerifierAPI.com goes a step further by attempting an SMTP handshake with the servers listed in the MX records to confirm they are actually ready to accept incoming mail.
Priority and Redundancy
MX records often come in multiples, each with a priority value. The server with the lowest number has the highest priority. If the primary server is down, the sending server will attempt to deliver to the secondary. During our verification process, we evaluate this redundancy. A domain with only one, unstable MX record is flagged as "risky" because any temporary downtime on their end will cause your emails to bounce.
Detecting Spoofed and Malicious Domains
Malicious actors often create domains with "fake" MX records to bypass basic filters. By using the advanced signals provided by EmailVerifierAPI.com, you can identify domains that exhibit suspicious DNS patterns. This level of technical scrutiny is essential for protecting your sender reputation and ensuring that your messages reach real humans in real inboxes.