Namecheap Private Email + Cloudflare

Set up Namecheap Private Email on Cloudflare

The records Namecheap Private Email needs, written with the field names Cloudflare uses (Name, Mail server, Content, Target), in the order to add them.

  • 5 steps
  • 6 DNS records

Before you start

  1. Have your Namecheap Private Email account ready. Some values are unique to your account and come from the Namecheap account (Private Email) .
  2. Open DNS at Cloudflare: Sign in to the Cloudflare dashboard and select your domain. Open the DNS Records page.
  3. Keep both tabs open and add the records below one at a time.

Namecheap Private Email on Cloudflare: what to know

How long changes take

Cloudflare says changes to your DNS records take effect worldwide within 5 minutes, usually much less. A record you replaced can stay cached until its old TTL runs out.

Source: FAQ (Cloudflare DNS Docs)

Records to add

Copy each value with the button next to it. Rows marked “Copy from Namecheap account (Private Email)” are unique to your account.

MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Name @ Value mx1.privateemail.com Priority 10 TTL Auto
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Name @ Value mx2.privateemail.com Priority 10 TTL Auto
SPF record Which servers may send as you Type TXT Name @ Value v=spf1 include:spf.privateemail.com ~all Priority n/a TTL Auto
DKIM A signature on every message Type TXT Name privateemail._domainkey Value Copy from Namecheap account (Private Email) Priority n/a TTL Auto
DMARC record What to do with fakes · recommended Type TXT Name _dmarc Value v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:postmaster@yourdomain.com Priority n/a TTL Auto
Autodiscover Automatic app setup · recommended Type CNAME Name autodiscover Value privateemail.com Priority n/a TTL Auto

Step by step in Cloudflare

Point your MX records

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

Type
MX
Name
@
Priority
10
Mail server
mx1.privateemail.com
Type
MX
Name
@
Priority
10
Mail server
mx2.privateemail.com

In Cloudflare

  1. On the DNS Records page, select Add record.
  2. Choose MX as the Type.
  3. Fill in Name, Mail server and Priority.
  4. Select Save.
  5. Delete any other MX records: select Edit on each one, then Delete, and confirm.
  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
Name
@
Content
v=spf1 include:spf.privateemail.com ~all

In Cloudflare

  1. On the DNS Records page, select Add record.
  2. Choose TXT as the Type.
  3. Fill in Name and Content.
  4. Select Save.

Set up DKIM

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

Type
TXT
Name
privateemail._domainkey
Content
Copy it from Namecheap account (Private Email) (see below)

Name: Subscriptions bought on or after June 2, 2026 use privateemail._domainkey; older ones use default._domainkey.

Where to find your value

In your Namecheap account open the Private Email menu, click Manage next to your domain, then click Generate under DKIM and copy the value.

  • Namecheap calls DKIM a mandatory entry for outgoing mail to work correctly.
  • Paste the whole value into one field; don't split it.
  • It normally takes about 60 minutes to take effect.

In Cloudflare

  1. On the DNS Records page, select Add record.
  2. Choose TXT as the Type.
  3. Fill in Name and Content.
  4. Select Save.

Add the DMARC record (recommended)

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

Type
TXT
Name
_dmarc
Content
v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:postmaster@yourdomain.com

In Cloudflare

  1. On the DNS Records page, select Add record.
  2. Choose TXT as the Type.
  3. Fill in Name and Content.
  4. Select Save.

Add the Autodiscover record (recommended)

Autodiscover lets Outlook and other mail apps find your account settings without manual setup.

Type
CNAME
Name
autodiscover
Target
privateemail.com
  • Optional. Namecheap also lists optional mail and autoconfig CNAMEs pointing to privateemail.com.

In Cloudflare

  1. On the DNS Records page, select Add record.
  2. Choose CNAME as the Type.
  3. Fill in Name and Target.
  4. Set Proxy status to DNS only (grey cloud).
  5. Select Save.

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 Cloudflare’s words.

We only read public DNS records. Nothing is stored.

Common mistakes with Namecheap Private Email on Cloudflare

Using the wrong DKIM host name

Subscriptions bought before June 2, 2026 use default._domainkey; newer ones use privateemail._domainkey.

Splitting the DKIM value

Namecheap warns not to put part of the value in one field and the rest in another. Paste the full string in one field.

Cloudflare: Turn off Cloudflare Email Routing first

If Email Routing is on, Cloudflare has added locked MX records (route1, route2 and route3.mx.cloudflare.net) and an SPF record with include:_spf.mx.cloudflare.net. Unlock them or disable Email Routing (Compute > Email Service > Email Routing > your domain > Settings) before switching to another provider. Email Routing can't be used with an outside mail server.

1 more Namecheap Private Email mistake to avoid

Visit Namecheap Private Email Visit Cloudflare

Namecheap Private Email on Cloudflare: questions

Where do I add Namecheap Private Email DNS records in Cloudflare?

Sign in to the Cloudflare dashboard and select your domain. Open the DNS Records page. Add each record there, one at a time.

What goes in the Name field at Cloudflare?

Enter @ for records on your bare domain, such as MX and SPF. For the others, enter only the part before your domain, for example _dmarc. Cloudflare adds your domain automatically.

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

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 Namecheap Private Email MX records and delete the rest. If Email Routing is on, Cloudflare has added locked MX records (route1, route2 and route3.mx.cloudflare.net) and an SPF record with include:_spf.mx.cloudflare.net. Unlock them or disable Email Routing (Compute > Email Service > Email Routing > your domain > Settings) before switching to another provider. Email Routing can't be used with an outside mail server.

How long until Namecheap Private Email works on Cloudflare?

Cloudflare says changes to your DNS records take effect worldwide within 5 minutes, usually much less. A record you replaced can stay cached until its old TTL runs out.

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.

Namecheap Private Email on other hosts

Other email providers on Cloudflare