How to configure your domain's DNS for Microsoft Exchange mail Print

In order to ensure your mail service is working at its best for our Canadian-hosted Microsoft Exchange mail solution, you must make a few DNS configuration changes. You'll need to find out where your DNS is hosted. Your DNS records may be configured at the registrar or within your web hosting control panel. 

The MX records are absolutely required. The authentication records (SPF + DMARC) are strongly recommended to ensure optimal deliverability of your outgoing messages, and the SRV record changes are recommended to make configuration your mail apps easier, but they are not required.

After completing these changes to your DNS, it will take 24-48 hours for the changes to take effect worldwide. Please be patient.

MX Record

Note: Generally when working with MX records, there is a subdomain field available to use, but you will not be entering one unless you specifically want mail delivery to go to email addresses like myname@sub.yourdomain.com rather than myname@yourdomain.com

1. If you have an existing MX record (or multiple): remove all MX records you see, then move on to step 2 below.
2. Add the following records. Note that the exact priority number does not matter, as long as they remain in the same numerical order:
   

• ex1.websavers.ca with priority 0
• ex2.websavers.ca with priority 5
• ex3.websavers.ca with priority 30
• ex4.websavers.ca with priority 50

These DNS records ensure that mail addressed to your domain will be delivered to the Exchange mailboxes.

Authentication Records (SPF, DMARC, DKIM)

Setting up authentication records ensures that messages you send to others are most likely to be accepted by the recipient's email provider and be delivered to the Inbox rather than Spam or Junk folders. Note that there are other factors beyond these DNS records that affect deliverability like the content of your messages, the format they are sent in (HTML or Plaintext), and the reputation of your domain. More information about authentication records and how they work can be found in our guide How to Create Mail Validation Records. More information on how to ensure optimal deliverability of your messages here.

SPF

1. If you see an existing record of type SPF or TXT: edit it such that immediately after the starting "v=spf1" there is the following - include:_spf.websavers.ca - Ensure there are spaces before and after this newly inserted value.
2. If you do not have an existing SPF record: it's recommended that you add one like this: v=spf1 include:_spf.websavers.ca +a +mx -all
   This record indicates that only Websavers' SMTP servers and your website's server is allowed to send messages on behalf of your domain.

Need help generating a SPF record? Head over to our fancy SPF Record Generator!

This DNS record ensures that your domain authorizes our Exchange servers to send mail. Without this, some mail servers will either reject your outgoing messages or will consider them in junk/spam.

DKIM

DKIM requires a few steps to set up. It is not required, but is recommended. Here's how to set one up:

1. Login to the Client Centre and choose settings beside your Exchange hosting plan.
2. Under the domain, click DKIM Key
3. Choose the option to generate your key
4. If, when the page refreshes, the key hasn't been generated yet, return in about 30 minutes.
5. Once the key has been generated, when you click on DKIM Key it will show you the record you need to create in your DNS zone. It is of type CNAME (not TXT like the other authentication records). Create this record at your DNS host/provider.
6. Wait approximately 1 hour for our system to detect the DNS record. Once detected, when you click on DKIM Key it will provide the option to enable/activate the record. Click this link/button.

Your DKIM record should now be active and functioning as expected!

DMARC

If you have not generated a DKIM record (as described above) the following DMARC record is optimal as it indicates that SPF is to be in 'strict' mode while leaving DKIM treatment at the default 'relaxed' mode:

• Type: Text or TXT
• Subdomain: _dmarc
• Value: v=DMARC1;p=none;aspf=s;adkim=r

If you have generated a DKIM record, applied it to your DNS, and enabled/activated it as described above, then only once all those steps have been completed should you set your DMARC record as follows:

• Type: Text or TXT
• Subdomain: _dmarc
• Value: v=DMARC1;p=none;aspf=s;adkim=s

If you're interested in learning more about the options for your DMARC record, you'll find more details about how they work in the guide to mail validation records linked above.

SRV Record

Add a record of type SRV with the following values:

1. Service Name: autodiscover (_autodiscover)
2. Protocol: tcp (_tcp)
3. Domain: leave blank / no subdomain / @
4. Priority: 0
5. Weight: 0
6. Target Host: ex.mail.ovh.ca
7. Target Port: 443

The final record looks like this: _autodiscover._tcp.<your_domain>.  |  SRV  |  ex.mail.ovh.ca.

If your DNS host does not have fields available for Service Name or Protocol, then enter in the subdomain or domain field: _autodiscover._tcp

This DNS record is used to make adding your Exchange mail accounts to your devices and mail apps easier and faster by providing all the necessary configuration information automatically.