Fastmail + Amazon Route 53

Set up Fastmail on Amazon Route 53

The records Fastmail needs, written with the field names Amazon Route 53 uses (Record name, Value), in the order to add them.

  • 4 steps
  • 7 DNS records

Before you start

  1. Have your Fastmail account ready. Some values are unique to your account and come from the Fastmail Settings .
  2. Open DNS at Amazon Route 53: Open the Route 53 console and select Registered domains, then your domain. Select Manage DNS, then the hosted zone for your domain. If no hosted zone exists, create one first.
  3. Keep both tabs open and add the records below one at a time.

Records to add

Copy each value with the button next to it. Rows marked “Copy from Fastmail Settings” are unique to your account.

MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Record name Leave empty Value 10 in1-smtp.messagingengine.com Priority in the value TTL Default
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Record name Leave empty Value 20 in2-smtp.messagingengine.com Priority in the value TTL Default
SPF record Which servers may send as you Type TXT Record name Leave empty Value "v=spf1 include:spf.messagingengine.com ?all" Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Record name fm1._domainkey Value fm1.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Record name fm2._domainkey Value fm2.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Record name fm3._domainkey Value fm3.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com Priority n/a TTL Default
DMARC record What to do with fakes · recommended Type TXT Record name _dmarc Value "v=DMARC1; p=none;" Priority n/a TTL Default

Step by step in Amazon Route 53

Point your MX records

MX records tell other mail servers where to deliver your email. How MX works

Type
MX
Record name
Leave this field empty
Value
10 in1-smtp.messagingengine.com
Type
MX
Record name
Leave this field empty
Value
20 in2-smtp.messagingengine.com

In Amazon Route 53

  1. In the hosted zone, select Create record.
  2. Leave Record name empty, choose MX as Record type, and keep Simple routing.
  3. In Value, enter the priority, a space, then the mail server (for example 10 mail.example.com). Put each mail server on its own line in the same record.
  4. Select Create records, then delete any older MX records.
  5. Repeat for each MX record above.

Add the SPF record

SPF lists the services allowed to send email as you. How SPF works

Type
TXT
Record name
Leave this field empty
Value
"v=spf1 include:spf.messagingengine.com ?all"
  • This is the exact value from Fastmail's manual DNS guide, which ends in ?all (neutral).

In Amazon Route 53

  1. Select Create record.
  2. Enter the Record name (leave it empty for your bare domain) and choose TXT.
  3. In Value, enter the text inside double quotes. If you already have a TXT record on that name, add the new value as another line in the same record.
  4. Select Create records.

Set up DKIM

DKIM signs your mail so receivers can trust it. How DKIM works

Type
CNAME
Record name
fm1._domainkey
Value
fm1.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com
Type
CNAME
Record name
fm2._domainkey
Value
fm2.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com
Type
CNAME
Record name
fm3._domainkey
Value
fm3.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com

In Amazon Route 53

  1. Select Create record.
  2. Enter the Record name (for example autodiscover) and choose CNAME.
  3. Enter the target in Value.
  4. Select Create records.
  5. Repeat for each CNAME record above.

Add the DMARC record (recommended)

DMARC tells receivers what to do with mail that fakes your domain. How DMARC works

Type
TXT
Record name
_dmarc
Value
"v=DMARC1; p=none;"

In Amazon Route 53

  1. Select Create record.
  2. Enter the Record name (leave it empty for your bare domain) and choose TXT.
  3. In Value, enter the text inside double quotes. If you already have a TXT record on that name, add the new value as another line in the same record.
  4. Select Create records.

Check your setup

Once the records are saved, run a live check. We look up your domain in public DNS and tell you what is right, missing or wrong, with the fix in Amazon Route 53’s words.

We only read public DNS records. Nothing is stored.

Common mistakes with Fastmail on Amazon Route 53

Adding fewer than three DKIM records

Fastmail signs with three selectors (fm1, fm2, fm3). All three CNAMEs are required.

Adding a second SPF record

Only one record may start with v=spf1. Merge Fastmail's include into the existing one.

Amazon Route 53: One TXT record per name

With simple routing, Route 53 keeps all TXT values for a name in the same record, one value per line. Add SPF next to a verification value instead of creating a second TXT record.

Amazon Route 53: Split long TXT values

A single quoted string can hold up to 255 characters. Split longer values, such as DKIM keys, into quoted pieces on one line: "part one" "part two".

Visit Fastmail Visit Amazon Route 53

Fastmail on Amazon Route 53: questions

Where do I add Fastmail DNS records in Amazon Route 53?

Open the Route 53 console and select Registered domains, then your domain. Select Manage DNS, then the hosted zone for your domain. If no hosted zone exists, create one first. Add each record there, one at a time.

What goes in the Record name field at Amazon Route 53?

Leave it empty for records on your bare domain, such as MX and SPF. For the others, enter only the part before your domain, for example fm1._domainkey. Amazon Route 53 adds your domain automatically.

Do I need to delete my existing MX records at Amazon Route 53?

Yes. Sending servers pick an MX record by its priority (lowest number first) and fall back to the others, so a leftover MX record can receive some or all of your mail. Keep only the Fastmail MX records and delete the rest.

Where do I get my Fastmail DKIM record?

Fastmail DKIM records are CNAME records whose value includes your domain, for example fm1.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com. Copy the exact values for your domain from the table on this page.

Sources

Every value and step on this page comes from these official pages. Dashboards change, so if something doesn’t match what you see, tell us.

Amazon Route 53 steps and tips

Some of these are other email providers' official guides for Amazon Route 53. They describe the same Amazon Route 53 dashboard.

Fastmail on other hosts

Other email providers on Amazon Route 53