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ZenBusiness

How to Set Up DNS Records and Email for Your ZenBusiness Domain

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If you purchased ZenBusiness Business Email with a ZenBusiness-registered domain, your MX records are configured automatically — you do not need to touch DNS. If your email stopped working after a DNS change, or if you're connecting a third-party email provider (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365), you will need to update your MX records manually. DNS changes take 24–48 hours to propagate.

How ZenBusiness Email and DNS Work Together

When you purchase ZenBusiness Business Email, ZenBusiness automatically sets the MX records on your domain to route email through our mail servers. You don't need to configure anything — just log in at mail.zenbusiness.com with your email address and password.

If you only purchased a standalone domain (without email), or if you changed your nameservers to point to a different provider, you may need to configure email manually.

Two scenarios where you need to manually update DNS for email:
1. You're using Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or another third-party email provider with your ZenBusiness domain
2. You changed your nameservers (DNS control moved away from ZenBusiness dashboard) and email stopped working

Update DNS Records in Your Dashboard

All DNS management is in your ZenBusiness dashboard.

How to access DNS settings

  1. Log in at zenbusiness.com
  2. Go to Web Tools → Domains
  3. Click the domain you want to configure
  4. Select DNS Management
  5. Add, edit, or delete records as needed
  6. Save changes — propagation takes 24–48 hours

Set Up MX Records for Third-Party Email

If you're using Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or another provider, you need to replace ZenBusiness's default MX records with records from your email provider.

What are MX records?

MX (Mail Exchange) records tell the internet which server receives email for your domain. Without correct MX records, email sent to your address bounces or goes missing.

How to update MX records for Google Workspace or Microsoft 365

  1. Get the MX records from your email provider's setup guide (Google Admin console, Microsoft 365 admin center, or your provider's help documentation)
  2. Log in at zenbusiness.com → Web Tools → Domains → DNS Management
  3. Delete any existing MX records pointing to ZenBusiness mail servers
  4. Add the new MX records your provider gave you — each record includes:
  5. Type: MX
  6. Hostname: @ (or leave blank — represents your root domain)
  7. Priority: The number your provider specifies (lower = higher priority)
  8. Points to: The mail server address (e.g., aspmx.l.google.com)
  9. Save and wait 24–48 hours

Note: If you changed your nameservers to point to Cloudflare or another DNS provider, you must add MX records there — not in the ZenBusiness dashboard. The ZenBusiness DNS editor only controls records when ZenBusiness is your active nameserver.

Configure SPF and DKIM Records (Prevent Email Going to Spam)

If your outbound emails are landing in spam, you may need SPF and DKIM records. These authenticate your email and signal to receiving servers that messages from your domain are legitimate.

SPF record (TXT)

SPF tells receiving mail servers which servers are allowed to send email on your behalf.

  • Type: TXT
  • Hostname: @ (root domain)
  • Value: Provided by your email provider (e.g., v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all for Google Workspace)

DKIM record (TXT)

DKIM is a cryptographic signature that proves your emails weren't tampered with in transit.

  • Type: TXT
  • Hostname: Your provider gives you a specific subdomain (e.g., google._domainkey)
  • Value: A long string of characters provided by your email provider

Both SPF and DKIM are configured the same way as MX records — add them in Web Tools → Domains → DNS Management.

ZenBusiness Business Email Server Settings

If you need to manually configure ZenBusiness Business Email in an email client:

Setting Value
Webmail mail.zenbusiness.com
IMAP server mail.b.hostedemail.com
IMAP port 993
SMTP server mail.b.hostedemail.com
SMTP port 465
Security SSL/TLS
Username Your full email address (e.g., you@yourbusiness.com)

See Set Up ZenBusiness Email on Desktop and Gmail and Set Up ZenBusiness Email on iPhone or Android for step-by-step device instructions.

Troubleshooting: Email Stopped Working After DNS Changes

If your ZenBusiness email was working before and stopped after you changed DNS records or nameservers:

Check 1 — Nameservers: If you changed your nameservers to Cloudflare or another provider, you lost control of DNS records in the ZenBusiness dashboard. Your ZenBusiness email MX records are gone. Log in to your new DNS provider and re-add MX records pointing to mail.b.hostedemail.com.

Check 2 — Accidentally deleted MX records: In the ZenBusiness dashboard → DNS Management, confirm MX records exist. If they're missing, contact our support team — they can restore the original ZenBusiness email MX records.

Check 3 — DNS hasn't propagated yet: DNS changes take up to 48 hours to apply worldwide. Test from a different network or use a DNS checker tool to see whether your new records are visible yet.

Check 4 — Wrong MX record for your email provider: If you configured Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 MX records, verify they match your provider's exact settings. A typo in the mail server address causes silent delivery failures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to set up MX records if I bought ZenBusiness Business Email?

No. ZenBusiness configures MX records automatically when you purchase Business Email with a ZenBusiness-registered domain. You can log in at mail.zenbusiness.com immediately. Only touch MX records if you're using a third-party email provider or if you changed your nameservers.

How long do DNS changes take?

DNS changes take 24–48 hours to propagate worldwide. Nameserver changes take longer — up to 3–5 days. Your records may appear in some locations before others during propagation.

My email was working and now it's not. What changed?

The most common cause is a nameserver change. If you or your web developer changed nameservers to Cloudflare or another provider, DNS control moved away from ZenBusiness — and with it, your email routing. Check your current nameservers in Web Tools → Domains → Nameserver Settings, then add your MX records at whatever DNS provider is now active.

Can I use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 with my ZenBusiness domain?

Yes. Get the MX records (and optionally SPF/DKIM records) from your email provider's admin console, then add them to your domain via Web Tools → Domains → DNS Management. Remove any existing ZenBusiness email MX records first. You'll use your Google or Microsoft email client instead of mail.zenbusiness.com.

My MX records look right but email still isn't working. What do I do?

Confirm DNS propagation has completed (wait the full 48 hours), check SPF/DKIM records aren't conflicting, and verify no typos in the mail server addresses. If everything looks correct and it's been over 48 hours, contact our support team — they can verify your DNS configuration is publishing correctly.

What nameservers does ZenBusiness use?

ZenBusiness uses OpenSRS nameservers. If you need to reset your nameservers back to ZenBusiness defaults, contact our support team and they'll provide the correct nameserver addresses.

Can I forward my business email to my personal Gmail or inbox?

Yes. Log in to mail.zenbusiness.com → Settings → Forwarding and add the email address you want to forward to. You can forward a copy and keep the original or forward only. This lets you manage business email from your personal inbox without separate logins.