How to set up business email on your own domain

In short: In MAILKODO Business, one account is tied to one domain. You add the domain and write the ownership record you are given into DNS, then enter the MX, SPF and DKIM records. When the panel reads these records from DNS and sees them, the domain becomes active and you can open your mailboxes and aliases. DMARC is optional but recommended.

What do I need before I start?

Three things: a domain, a panel where you can change that domain's DNS records, and the MAILKODO Business plan. Where you bought the domain does not matter as long as you can manage its DNS records. The domains of large mail providers such as Gmail and Outlook, and the domains of the OVOKODO family itself, cannot be added as "your domain"; the panel rejects them before verification.

The number of mailboxes is the quantity you buy, so a single mailbox works too. Each mailbox has a 30 GB quota, a daily sending limit of 1000 messages and 10 aliases.

Setup steps

1. Add the domain. On the Business page type your domain. The panel gives you a unique ownership record (TXT).
2. Write the ownership record. In your DNS panel add this TXT value at the root of the domain. When the record is seen, the domain is opened on the mail server and a DKIM key is generated.
3. Enter the MX record. Add an MX record for the domain with priority 10 pointing to the mail server named in the panel. MX answers the question "where does this domain's mail go?"
4. Enter the SPF record. Add the SPF value shown in the panel as a TXT record on the domain. If you already have an SPF record, do not add a second one; merge them into a single record, because a domain can have only one SPF record.
5. Enter the DKIM record. Under dkim._domainkey add the long TXT value given in the panel. When copying, take care not to add spaces or line breaks.
6. Check. Press the check button in the panel. When MX, SPF and DKIM are seen, the status becomes "active". If a record is missing, the panel shows which one.
7. Add DMARC (recommended). Under _dmarc add the value the panel suggests, v=DMARC1; p=quarantine. It is not mandatory, but it limits forged sending.

DNS changes may not spread at once. If the records do not show up, wait a few minutes and check again.

What do the records do?

| Record | Question it answers | Required? | |---|---|---| | TXT (ownership) | Is this domain really yours? | Yes | | MX | Where is mail delivered? | Yes | | SPF | Which servers may send on behalf of this domain? | Yes | | DKIM | Did the mail change on the way; is the signature valid? | Yes | | DMARC | What should happen if SPF or DKIM fails? | No |

What do I do once the domain is active?

When you open a mailbox you choose its name; the mailbox password is shown once and is not stored. An alias receives mail for a mailbox under additional addresses; for example [email protected] and [email protected] can land in the same mailbox. You can delete a mailbox or alias from the panel.

You can read mail in MAILKODO's mail screen or add the mailbox to your phone with IMAP and SMTP; the settings are in the setup section of the panel.

Common mistakes

• Leaving the MX at the old provider: If the old MX record stays, mail keeps going to the old place. During a move, keep your old mailbox open, change the MX, then copy mail over from the old mailbox.
• Adding a second SPF record: A domain with two SPF records fails SPF verification.
• Splitting the DKIM value: Some panels need a long value in two parts; follow your panel's instructions, but do not change the value.
• Writing to a subdomain instead of the root: The ownership, MX and SPF records go at the root of the domain.

What happens when the plan ends?

When the plan ends, the domain is closed on the mail server; mail is not deleted, and when the plan starts again the domain is reopened. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the period and you keep using the plan until then. Keeping a copy of important mail in another mailbox is still a good habit.

To see how the shared @mailkodo.com address differs from Business, read Shared address or your own domain?.

How do I move my mail from the old provider?

During a move, keeping both mailboxes open is safest. Add both the old and the new account to your mail app over IMAP; drag and copy folders from old to new. This is a general IMAP feature of the app; while copying goes on, both mailboxes stay open and the decision is yours. Change the MX record only after you have tried that the new mailbox works. After the MX changes, mail may still land in the old mailbox for a while, so do not close the old one for a few days.

Ready? Add your domain on MAILKODO.