Namecheap Private Email + SiteGround

Set up Namecheap Private Email on SiteGround

The records Namecheap Private Email needs, written with the field names SiteGround uses (Name, Destination, Value, Resolves to), 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 SiteGround: Open Site Tools for your site. Go to Domain > DNS Zone Editor.
  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 Namecheap account (Private Email)” are unique to your account.

MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Name Leave empty Value mx1.privateemail.com Priority 10 TTL Default
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Name Leave empty Value mx2.privateemail.com Priority 10 TTL Default
SPF record Which servers may send as you Type TXT Name Leave empty Value v=spf1 include:spf.privateemail.com ~all Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type TXT Name privateemail._domainkey Value Copy from Namecheap account (Private Email) Priority n/a TTL Default
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 Default
Autodiscover Automatic app setup · recommended Type CNAME Name autodiscover Value privateemail.com Priority n/a TTL Default

Step by step in SiteGround

Point your MX records

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

Type
MX
Name
Leave this field empty
Priority
10
Destination
mx1.privateemail.com
Type
MX
Name
Leave this field empty
Priority
10
Destination
mx2.privateemail.com

In SiteGround

  1. Under Create New Record, open the MX tab and choose Add your own MX records.
  2. Leave Name empty, enter the Priority and the Destination.
  3. Click Create.
  4. Under Manage DNS Records, delete SiteGround's default 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
Name
Leave this field empty
Value
v=spf1 include:spf.privateemail.com ~all

In SiteGround

  1. Under Create New Record, open the TXT tab.
  2. Enter only the prefix in Name (SiteGround adds your domain) and the Value.
  3. Click Create.

Set up DKIM

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

Type
TXT
Name
privateemail._domainkey
Value
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 SiteGround

  1. Under Create New Record, open the TXT tab.
  2. Enter only the prefix in Name (SiteGround adds your domain) and the Value.
  3. Click Create.

Add the DMARC record (recommended)

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

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

In SiteGround

  1. Under Create New Record, open the TXT tab.
  2. Enter only the prefix in Name (SiteGround adds your domain) and the Value.
  3. Click Create.

Add the Autodiscover record (recommended)

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

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

In SiteGround

  1. Under Create New Record, open the CNAME tab.
  2. Enter only the prefix in Name and the target in Resolves to.
  3. Click Create.

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 SiteGround’s words.

We only read public DNS records. Nothing is stored.

Common mistakes with Namecheap Private Email on SiteGround

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.

SiteGround: Delete SiteGround's default MX records

New sites start with three MX records for SiteGround's own mail: mx10, mx20 and mx30.antispam.mailspamprotection.com. Remove them when you use another provider.

SiteGround: SPF lives under Email > Authentication

SiteGround manages SPF in Site Tools > Email > Authentication. Edit the Include List there instead of adding a second SPF record in the DNS Zone Editor.

1 more Namecheap Private Email mistake to avoid

Visit Namecheap Private Email Visit SiteGround

Namecheap Private Email on SiteGround: questions

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

Open Site Tools for your site. Go to Domain > DNS Zone Editor. Add each record there, one at a time.

What goes in the Name field at SiteGround?

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 _dmarc. SiteGround adds your domain automatically.

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

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. New sites start with three MX records for SiteGround's own mail: mx10, mx20 and mx30.antispam.mailspamprotection.com. Remove them when you use another provider.

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 SiteGround