MX Lookup: Find Mail Exchange Records and Host IPs
MX Lookup retrieves mail exchange (MX) records for a hostname and sorts them by priority. It also resolves each mail host to its A and AAAA addresses. The lookup uses DNS-over-HTTPS through Cloudflare or Google, so a network connection is required and the hostname is sent to a public resolver.
MX Lookup is a browser-based tool for looking up MX records, also known as mail exchange records, for a hostname. It sorts the returned records by priority and resolves each mail host to its A and AAAA addresses, so you can review the mail hosts and their associated IP address results in one place.
To perform a lookup, the tool uses DNS-over-HTTPS through Cloudflare or Google. The hostname you enter is sent to a public DNS-over-HTTPS resolver to retrieve the DNS results. The MX records are presented in priority order, and the mail hosts are further resolved to their A and AAAA addresses. No additional lookup options are specified.
MX records identify mail hosts for a domain, while A and AAAA records provide IPv4 and IPv6 address information for hostnames. Looking up MX records is useful when you need to inspect a domain's mail routing; resolving the mail hosts adds address information that can help with review or troubleshooting. The priority order helps make the listed mail hosts easier to compare.
The tool itself stores nothing, but this lookup is not entirely private: the hostname leaves your browser and is sent to the public DNS resolver. MX Lookup requires a network connection and does not work offline, because it needs to reach a resolver for the DNS response.
Developers and DevOps engineers can use MX Lookup for quick DNS checks without installing a command-line client. It is also useful when you need to perform a lookup from the browser on the machine you are currently using.
Step 1: Enter the hostname you want to check. MX Lookup looks up mail exchange records for the hostname you provide.
Step 2: Run the lookup in your browser. The tool uses DNS-over-HTTPS through Cloudflare or Google, so it needs an internet connection.
Step 3: Review the MX records, which are sorted by priority. Each mail host is also resolved to its A and AAAA addresses.
Step 4: Copy the results for use in your notes or workflow. Remember that the hostname is sent to the public DNS-over-HTTPS resolver.
Use case: Check the MX records for a domain when investigating how its email is routed. Priority sorting makes the returned mail hosts easier to compare.
Use case: Resolve the mail hosts listed in a domain's MX records to their A and AAAA addresses. This gives you the associated IPv4 and IPv6 address results alongside the records.
Use case: Perform a routine MX lookup without installing a command-line DNS client. The browser-based tool is useful when you are working on a machine where you do not have one available.
Use case: Look up mail records from the machine you are currently using. You can use the browser instead of setting up a local resolver client.
Use case: Use a DNS-over-HTTPS resolver from your browser when you need to check a hostname. MX Lookup uses Cloudflare or Google for the DNS lookup.
Use case: Review MX records and their priorities while troubleshooting a mail-host configuration. The sorted output helps you see the listed priorities and corresponding hosts together.