Fastmail + WordPress.com

Set up Fastmail on WordPress.com

The records Fastmail needs, written with the field names WordPress.com uses (Name, Handled by, Text, Alias of (points to)), 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 WordPress.com: In your Hosting Dashboard, open Domains and select your domain. Under Settings, open DNS records, then select Add record (upper right).
  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 Name @ Value in1-smtp.messagingengine.com Priority 10 TTL 3600 seconds (when no other records share a TTL)
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Name @ Value in2-smtp.messagingengine.com Priority 20 TTL 3600 seconds (when no other records share a TTL)
SPF record Which servers may send as you Type TXT Name @ Value v=spf1 include:spf.messagingengine.com ?all Priority n/a TTL 3600 seconds (when no other records share a TTL)
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Name fm1._domainkey Value fm1.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com Priority n/a TTL 3600 seconds (when no other records share a TTL)
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Name fm2._domainkey Value fm2.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com Priority n/a TTL 3600 seconds (when no other records share a TTL)
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Name fm3._domainkey Value fm3.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com Priority n/a TTL 3600 seconds (when no other records share a TTL)
DMARC record What to do with fakes · recommended Type TXT Name _dmarc Value v=DMARC1; p=none; Priority n/a TTL 3600 seconds (when no other records share a TTL)

Step by step in WordPress.com

Point your MX records

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

Type
MX
Name
@
Priority
10
Handled by
in1-smtp.messagingengine.com
Type
MX
Name
@
Priority
20
Handled by
in2-smtp.messagingengine.com

In WordPress.com

  1. Select Add record and choose MX.
  2. Enter @ in Name, the mail server in Handled by, and the Priority (pre-filled with 10).
  3. Save the record.
  4. 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
Name
@
Text
v=spf1 include:spf.messagingengine.com ?all
  • This is the exact value from Fastmail's manual DNS guide, which ends in ?all (neutral).

In WordPress.com

  1. Select Add record and choose TXT.
  2. Enter the Name (@ for your bare domain) and paste the value in Text.
  3. Save the record.

Set up DKIM

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

Type
CNAME
Name (host)
fm1._domainkey
Alias of (points to)
fm1.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com
Type
CNAME
Name (host)
fm2._domainkey
Alias of (points to)
fm2.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com
Type
CNAME
Name (host)
fm3._domainkey
Alias of (points to)
fm3.yourdomain.com.dkim.fmhosted.com

In WordPress.com

  1. Select Add record and choose CNAME.
  2. Enter Name (host) and the target in Alias of (points to).
  3. Save the record.
  4. 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
Name
_dmarc
Text
v=DMARC1; p=none;

In WordPress.com

  1. Select Add record and choose TXT.
  2. Enter the Name (@ for your bare domain) and paste the value in Text.
  3. Save the record.

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 WordPress.com’s words.

We only read public DNS records. Nothing is stored.

Common mistakes with Fastmail on WordPress.com

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.

Visit Fastmail Visit WordPress.com

Fastmail on WordPress.com: questions

Where do I add Fastmail DNS records in WordPress.com?

In your Hosting Dashboard, open Domains and select your domain. Under Settings, open DNS records, then select Add record (upper right). Add each record there, one at a time.

What goes in the Name field at WordPress.com?

Enter @ 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. WordPress.com adds your domain automatically.

Do I need to delete my existing MX records at WordPress.com?

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.

Fastmail on other hosts

Other email providers on WordPress.com