Configuring Email DNS Records and Mail Client Settings

To use Exact Hosting email on your domain, you need to point the domain to the right mail servers with DNS records and then enter the matching server settings in your mail client. This article walks you through finding your email server, adding the MX and SPF records, and configuring your mail client for both Enhanced Email and cPanel email.

About Exact Hosting email

Exact Hosting offers two email products. Enhanced Email runs on one of two clusters, A or B, each with its own server hostname. cPanel email uses the hostname of the specific cPanel hosting server your account is on. The MX record you publish, and the settings you enter into your mail client, depend on which product and which server you're on.

To connect a domain to Exact Hosting email, you need:

• A Mail Exchange, or MX, record so other mail servers know where to deliver mail for your domain.
• A Sender Policy Framework, or SPF, record so recipients can verify that mail from your domain is authorized.

Note: If your domain is registered with Exact Hosting, manage these records in the DNS management portal. If your domain is registered elsewhere, add the records through your registrar.

Tip: For a quick at-a-glance table of every server, port, and protocol by product, see the Email Server Settings Reference (IMAP, POP, SMTP).

Before you begin

• An active Exact Hosting account. Sign in at my.exacthosting.com to view your services.
• Your full email address and password. These are your credentials for both incoming and outgoing mail.
• Access to your domain's DNS. Either through the Exact Hosting DNS management portal or through the registrar where the domain is registered.

Step 1: Identify your email server

Before you can publish DNS records or configure your mail client, you need to know which server hosts your mailbox.

Locating your Enhanced Email cluster (A or B)

1. Sign in to your Exact Hosting account.
2. Click the Services icon.
3. Look at your Enhanced Email listing. The cluster letter, A or B, appears in parentheses next to the product name.

Note: If you see Enhanced Email with no letter, your service defaults to cluster A.

Locating your cPanel server name

1. Sign in to your Exact Hosting account.
2. Click the Services icon.
3. Click Active next to your hosting service.
4. Click Login to cPanel.
5. Your server name appears in the browser's address bar.

Step 2: Add DNS records for your domain

Publish the MX and SPF records that match your email product. Replace example.com with your actual domain name everywhere it appears.

Enhanced Email — Cluster A

Enhanced Email — Cluster B

cPanel email

SPF (TXT) record

The same SPF record applies to all Exact Hosting email products.

Warning: DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate worldwide. Wait until the records are live before troubleshooting mail delivery.

Step 3: Configure your mail client

Enter the matching server, port, and credentials below into your mail client. The username is always your full email address, and the password is your email account password.

Enhanced Email — Cluster A

Enhanced Email — Cluster B

cPanel email

The inbound and outbound mail server is your cPanel server name, the hostname you found in Step 1.

Warning: Always use the SSL ports when possible. Non-SSL ports send your password unencrypted.

Step 4: Test sending and receiving

After your DNS records have propagated and your mail client is configured, send a test message to yourself to confirm both delivery and outgoing mail work. If the test fails, double-check the server name and ports for your cluster or cPanel server.

Setup guides for popular mail clients

For step-by-step Exact Hosting walkthroughs, see Setting Up Email on iPhone & iPad and Setting Up Email in Outlook (Windows & Mac).

Exact Hosting provides the third-party links below as a courtesy and does not directly support these products. If the server settings above do not connect, contact the mail client vendor for further help.

• Mozilla Thunderbird
• Windows 10 Mail
• Microsoft Outlook
• iPhone and iPad
• Apple Mail
• Gmail setup
• Gmail sending
• Android

Next steps

• Manage your domain's DNS. Review the DNS management article if you need help adding or editing records.
• Confirm DNS propagation. Wait up to 48 hours, then verify your MX and SPF records resolve correctly before reporting mail delivery issues.

Questions? Contact Exact Hosting Support.