Custom domain email
Custom domain email uses an address at a domain you use, such as alex@example.com, instead of an address ending in a provider's domain. The domain makes the address recognizable, while an email provider supplies the service that sends, receives, and stores messages.
What do you need for an address at your domain?
You need a registered domain, an email service that accepts that domain, and the service's required DNS settings. In particular, incoming mail is normally routed using MX records. The email service may also ask you to publish TXT records for domain verification and for systems such as SPF or DKIM that check whether a sender is authorized or whether a message carries a valid digital signature. Exact values come from the provider and differ between services.
For example, Alex registers example.com and subscribes to an email provider. Alex creates a mailbox for alex@example.com and points the domain's mail routing records to the provider's servers. Messages addressed to Alex can then reach that provider. Owning the domain alone does not create an inbox, and a website host does not necessarily provide email service.
How is an email address different from a mailbox?
An address identifies where a message should be delivered. A mailbox is the recipient's account or destination where messages can be stored or otherwise handled. A provider may let one mailbox receive several addresses through aliases, or route an address elsewhere through email forwarding. Those options do not always include a separate login or storage space.
Custom domain email also does not automatically improve delivery or prevent impersonation. Providers may recommend authentication records, and recipients apply their own filtering rules. The domain, website, and mail service are related but separately configured services.
Related terms
- Email provider — supplies the email service
- MX record — routes incoming mail for a domain
- Email mailbox — receives or stores messages
- SPF — one email authentication method