Proton Mail + Bluehost

Set up Proton Mail on Bluehost

The records Proton Mail needs, written with the field names Bluehost uses (Host Record, Points to, TXT Value), in the order to add them.

  • 5 steps
  • 8 DNS records

Before you start

  1. Have your Proton Mail account ready. Some values are unique to your account and come from the Proton Mail settings (Domain names) .
  2. Open DNS at Bluehost: Log in to the Bluehost Portal and click Domains in the left-hand menu. Select your domain, then open the DNS tab.
  3. Keep both tabs open and add the records below one at a time.

Proton Mail on Bluehost: what to know

How long changes take

Bluehost says saved changes are processed in a few minutes but can take up to 8 hours to fully propagate, depending on caching and TTL.

Source: How to Edit MX Records (Bluehost Help)

Records to add

Copy each value with the button next to it. Rows marked “Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names)” are unique to your account.

Domain verification Proves you own the domain Type TXT Host Record @ Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Looks like: protonmail-verification= followed by a code Priority n/a TTL Default
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Host Record @ Value mail.protonmail.ch Priority 10 TTL Default
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Host Record @ Value mailsec.protonmail.ch Priority 20 TTL Default
SPF record Which servers may send as you Type TXT Host Record @ Value v=spf1 include:_spf.protonmail.ch ~all Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Host Record protonmail._domainkey Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Host Record protonmail2._domainkey Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Host Record protonmail3._domainkey Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Priority n/a TTL Default
DMARC record What to do with fakes · recommended Type TXT Host Record _dmarc Value v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com Priority n/a TTL Default

Step by step in Bluehost

Verify your domain

Your email provider needs proof that you control this domain before it accepts email for it.

Type
TXT
Host Name
@
TXT Value
Copy it from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) (see below)

Where to find your value

In Proton Mail open Settings → Domain names, add your domain and copy the verification value.

It looks like: protonmail-verification= followed by a code

In Bluehost

  1. On the DNS tab, click + Add Record and select Single Record.
  2. Set Record Type to TXT and Refers to to Other Host.
  3. Enter the Host Name and paste the TXT Value.
  4. Click Add.

Point your MX records

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

Type
MX
Host Record
@
Priority
10
Points to
mail.protonmail.ch
  • Delete any other MX records, or make sure Proton's have the lowest priority number.
Type
MX
Host Record
@
Priority
20
Points to
mailsec.protonmail.ch

In Bluehost

  1. Under the DNS tab, go to Manage Advanced DNS Records and click Add Record.
  2. Set Type to MX. Type @ in Host Record, enter the mail server in Points to, and set the Priority. Leave TTL at its default.
  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
Host Name
@
TXT Value
v=spf1 include:_spf.protonmail.ch ~all
  • Keep one SPF record. To keep an existing one, add include:_spf.protonmail.ch right after v=spf1.

In Bluehost

  1. On the DNS tab, click + Add Record and select Single Record.
  2. Set Record Type to TXT and Refers to to Other Host.
  3. Enter the Host Name and paste the TXT Value.
  4. Click Add.

Set up DKIM

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

Type
CNAME
Host Record
protonmail._domainkey
Points to
Copy it from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) (see below)

Where to find your value

Copy the exact target from the DKIM tab of your domain in Proton Mail settings.

  • Add all three DKIM records; Proton rotates keys between them.
  • Some hosts reject a trailing period on CNAME values. If yours does, remove the final dot.
Type
CNAME
Host Record
protonmail2._domainkey
Points to
Copy it from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) (see below)

Where to find your value

Copy the exact target from the DKIM tab of your domain in Proton Mail settings.

Type
CNAME
Host Record
protonmail3._domainkey
Points to
Copy it from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) (see below)

Where to find your value

Copy the exact target from the DKIM tab of your domain in Proton Mail settings.

In Bluehost

  1. Under the DNS tab, click Add Record.
  2. Set Type to CNAME, enter the name, and put the target hostname in 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
Host Name
_dmarc
TXT Value
v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com
  • Start with p=none (no action) and read the reports for a while. Replace the report address with a mailbox you actually read.
  • Proton recommends p=quarantine for most domains. Move to it once SPF and DKIM pass.

In Bluehost

  1. On the DNS tab, click + Add Record and select Single Record.
  2. Set Record Type to TXT and Refers to to Other Host.
  3. Enter the Host Name and paste the TXT Value.
  4. Click Add.

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 Bluehost’s words.

We only read public DNS records. Nothing is stored.

Common mistakes with Proton Mail on Bluehost

Adding only one DKIM record

Proton uses three DKIM CNAMEs (protonmail, protonmail2, protonmail3). Add all three, matching the values in your setup wizard exactly.

Bluehost: Replace Bluehost's default MX record

By default Bluehost's MX record points to your own domain, which delivers mail to Bluehost's local server. Change it to your provider's mail server.

Bluehost: Set email routing to Remote

If Bluehost doesn’t host your email, change the domain’s email routing setting to Remote. Otherwise Bluehost keeps treating mail for the domain as local.

Visit Proton Mail Visit Bluehost

Proton Mail on Bluehost: questions

Where do I add Proton Mail DNS records in Bluehost?

Log in to the Bluehost Portal and click Domains in the left-hand menu. Select your domain, then open the DNS tab. Add each record there, one at a time.

What goes in the Host Record field at Bluehost?

Enter @ for records on your bare domain, such as MX and SPF. For the others, enter protonmail._domainkey.

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

Delete any other MX records, or make sure Proton's have the lowest priority number. By default Bluehost's MX record points to your own domain, which delivers mail to Bluehost's local server. Change it to your provider's mail server. If Bluehost doesn’t host your email, change the domain’s email routing setting to Remote. Otherwise Bluehost keeps treating mail for the domain as local.

How long until Proton Mail works on Bluehost?

Bluehost says saved changes are processed in a few minutes but can take up to 8 hours to fully propagate, depending on caching and TTL.

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.

Proton Mail on other hosts

Other email providers on Bluehost