Website works, email does not? Check your .at domain
Your .at website opens, but email is missing? Separate mailbox access, incoming mail, outgoing mail and the active DNS zone, especially after a website change.
Read guide ↗The essentials
A lower MX priority number is preferred. Several records can form part of a coordinated mail-server configuration, but they do not automatically send individual mailboxes to different services. Use your email service’s complete record set and first establish where your active DNS zone is managed.
What an MX record specifies for your domain
MX means Mail Exchanger. The record names a mail server for incoming messages to the relevant domain. Priority is a separate numeric field; the destination field contains the complete server name. An email address or website URL does not belong in that destination field. For your Austrian project, arrange the mailbox first and then obtain the matching DNS instructions. Registering a .at domain alone creates neither a mailbox nor a working email service. You can keep the domain with atdomain.at while using a suitable separate mailbox service.
Connect your domain to an existing email serviceExplore .at domains and included managementLower number first: how to read priority
A priority of 10 is preferred over 20. The number does not rate server speed or quality. In the reading example below, the first destination is preferred and the second is less preferred. Your mail service must have configured any alternative destination to accept messages for your domain. Equal priorities are also possible when specified by the service. This table explains the notation only. It contains no setup values for your domain and should not be copied into your DNS zone.
| Field | Reading example only | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Priority / destination | 10 / mx-a.example | Preferred destination in this example |
| Priority / destination | 20 / mx-b.example | Less-preferred destination in this example |
Several MX records do not choose individual mailboxes
Suppose a small business wants office at one service and bookings at another. Two MX destinations with different numbers are not a reliable switch for this arrangement. Selection is not simply based on the name before the @ sign. A second service where you once created a trial mailbox does not automatically become a suitable backup server either. Discuss any intended split explicitly with the responsible email service. Where its instructions specify several servers, use them together. Do not remove the less-preferred record merely because the first server currently responds.
Plan multiple email addresses under one domain
Obtain complete instructions before changing anything
Record the domain, affected receiving addresses and mailbox service actually in use. Ask for the complete set of host names, destinations, priorities and any specified TTL values. When switching services, establish which existing MX records should be replaced and how long old mailboxes must remain accessible. Save the current configuration before applying changes. A dated screenshot helps with comparison later, but does not prove that the displayed zone is publicly active. Do not publish mailbox passwords or private messages in a support ticket. Clarify incomplete instructions before starting the change.
Use the DNS management that is actually active
Your account provides an email setup choice beside your active domain, along with the existing DNS and Nameservers sections. With our default nameservers, manage the records there. With custom nameservers, edit them in the corresponding active DNS management service. Saving a value in another zone does not change public delivery. Avoid switching nameservers as an additional task merely to add one MX value. Preserve website, verification and other necessary records. Your service’s instructions also determine whether its interface represents the root domain with a blank field or an @ sign.
Open the email connection instructionsCheck active nameservers before editing recordsPriority zero and null MX mean different things
The number 0 alone does not switch email off. An explicit null MX combines preference 0 with a special dot destination to declare that the domain accepts no email. This is a separate case for deliberately non-receiving domains, rather than a shortcut for creating a mailbox. If you find that configuration and now want to receive messages, ask your email service to confirm the complete intended setup. Do not guess by adding other destinations alongside a conflicting null MX. For a website-only domain without email, make that decision deliberately too.
Test actual incoming email after saving
Note when the change was made and compare public MX responses with the complete instructions. Existing DNS caches may still return earlier answers. Next, use an independent mailbox you control to send a harmless test message to an address that has actually been created. Check the destination inbox and spam folder rather than treating the absence of a bounce as proof of arrival. Test outgoing email separately. Also confirm that the website still works. MX records replace neither SPF, DKIM and DMARC nor mailbox provisioning; these are separate parts of a complete email connection.
Understand the separate roles of SPF, DKIM and DMARCUnderstand DNS caches and TTL
Budget separately for the domain and mailboxes
A new standard .at domain currently costs €12.99 total for the first year; renewal costs €15.99 total per additional year. New .at domains also offer three years of prepaid coverage for €39.00 total, including registration and two annual renewals without further payment. That saves €5.97 against €44.97 through annual payments at today’s prices. Your account shows the annual technical date separately from the full paid-through coverage. Afterwards, renewal uses the offered price, without an automatic card charge. Hosting and mailboxes are not included.
Compare current total prices and the prepaid planGive support the facts needed to investigate
If messages do not arrive, include your domain, change time, active DNS management and observed test result in the ticket. Distinguish between a rejected message, one that has not arrived and one found in spam. Add a sanitised error message if available, but no passwords, transfer codes or private message contents. A working website alone does not prove that incoming mail is correctly configured. Repeatedly changing priority without a clear diagnosis makes investigation harder. First establish the intended record set and responsible service before requesting further changes.
Create a focused support requestSeparate website problems from email problemsFurther sourcesRFC 1035: MX record structure and preference ↗RFC 5321: selecting mail servers and delivering email ↗RFC 7505: null MX for domains that accept no email ↗
