Fastmail + OVHcloud

Set up Fastmail on OVHcloud

The records Fastmail needs, written with the field names OVHcloud uses (Subdomain, Target, 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 OVHcloud: Sign in to the OVHcloud Control Panel (ovh.com/manager). Under View all my activity, select your domain name. Open the DNS zone tab.
  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 Subdomain Leave empty Value in1-smtp.messagingengine.com. Priority 10 TTL Default
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Subdomain Leave empty Value in2-smtp.messagingengine.com. Priority 20 TTL Default
SPF record Which servers may send as you Type TXT Subdomain Leave empty Value v=spf1 include:spf.messagingengine.com ?all Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Subdomain fm1._domainkey Value fm1.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com. Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Subdomain fm2._domainkey Value fm2.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com. Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Subdomain fm3._domainkey Value fm3.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com. Priority n/a TTL Default
DMARC record What to do with fakes · recommended Type TXT Subdomain _dmarc Value v=DMARC1; p=none; Priority n/a TTL Default

Step by step in OVHcloud

Point your MX records

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

Type
MX
Subdomain
Leave this field empty
Priority
10
Target
in1-smtp.messagingengine.com.
Type
MX
Subdomain
Leave this field empty
Priority
20
Target
in2-smtp.messagingengine.com.

In OVHcloud

  1. Select the Add an entry tile.
  2. In Mail records, choose MX.
  3. Leave Subdomain empty, enter the Priority and the Target (ending with a dot), and a TTL.
  4. Select Next, then Confirm.
  5. Delete older MX records with the trash icon in the Actions column.
  6. 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
Subdomain
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 OVHcloud

  1. Select the Add an entry tile.
  2. In Extended records, choose TXT.
  3. Fill in Subdomain (empty for your bare domain) and Value.
  4. Select Next, then Confirm.

Set up DKIM

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

Type
CNAME
Subdomain
fm1._domainkey
Target
fm1.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com.
Type
CNAME
Subdomain
fm2._domainkey
Target
fm2.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com.
Type
CNAME
Subdomain
fm3._domainkey
Target
fm3.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com.

In OVHcloud

  1. Select the Add an entry tile.
  2. In Pointer records, choose CNAME.
  3. Fill in Subdomain and the Target (ending with a dot).
  4. Select Next, then Confirm.
  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
Subdomain
_dmarc
Value
v=DMARC1; p=none;

In OVHcloud

  1. Select the Add an entry tile.
  2. In Extended records, choose TXT.
  3. Fill in Subdomain (empty for your bare domain) and Value.
  4. Select Next, then Confirm.

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 OVHcloud’s words.

We only read public DNS records. Nothing is stored.

Common mistakes with Fastmail on OVHcloud

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.

OVHcloud: End targets with a dot

By default OVHcloud treats a target without a final dot as relative and adds your domain to the end. End MX and CNAME targets with a dot, for example mx1.example.com.

Visit Fastmail Visit OVHcloud

Fastmail on OVHcloud: questions

Where do I add Fastmail DNS records in OVHcloud?

Sign in to the OVHcloud Control Panel (ovh.com/manager). Under View all my activity, select your domain name. Open the DNS zone tab. Add each record there, one at a time.

What goes in the Subdomain field at OVHcloud?

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. OVHcloud adds your domain automatically.

Do I need to delete my existing MX records at OVHcloud?

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. By default OVHcloud treats a target without a final dot as relative and adds your domain to the end. End MX and CNAME targets with a dot, for example mx1.example.com.

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.

OVHcloud steps and tips

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

Fastmail on other hosts

Other email providers on OVHcloud