Proton Mail + Hostinger

Set up Proton Mail on Hostinger

The records Proton Mail needs, written with the field names Hostinger uses (Name, Mail server, TXT value, Content), 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 Hostinger: In hPanel, go to Domains and click Manage next to your domain. Open DNS / Nameservers on the left. Use the Manage DNS records section.
  3. Keep both tabs open and add the records below one at a time.

Proton Mail on Hostinger: what to know

How long changes take

Hostinger says DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to fully propagate.

Source: How to manage DNS records at Hostinger (Hostinger 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 Name @ Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Looks like: protonmail-verification= followed by a code Priority n/a TTL 14400 seconds (4 hours)
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Name @ Value mail.protonmail.ch Priority 10 TTL 14400 seconds (4 hours)
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Name @ Value mailsec.protonmail.ch Priority 20 TTL 14400 seconds (4 hours)
SPF record Which servers may send as you Type TXT Name @ Value v=spf1 include:_spf.protonmail.ch ~all Priority n/a TTL 14400 seconds (4 hours)
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Name protonmail._domainkey Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Priority n/a TTL 14400 seconds (4 hours)
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Name protonmail2._domainkey Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Priority n/a TTL 14400 seconds (4 hours)
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Name protonmail3._domainkey Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Priority n/a TTL 14400 seconds (4 hours)
DMARC record What to do with fakes · recommended Type TXT Name _dmarc Value v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com Priority n/a TTL 14400 seconds (4 hours)

Step by step in Hostinger

Verify your domain

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

Type
TXT
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 Hostinger

  1. In Manage DNS records, choose TXT as the type.
  2. Enter the Name (@ for the root, or only the prefix such as _dmarc) and the TXT value.
  3. Click Add Record.

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
mail.protonmail.ch
  • Delete any other MX records, or make sure Proton's have the lowest priority number.
Type
MX
Name
@
Priority
20
Mail server
mailsec.protonmail.ch

In Hostinger

  1. In Manage DNS records, choose MX as the type.
  2. Enter @ as the Name, your provider's mail server, and the Priority. Keep the default TTL unless your provider asks otherwise.
  3. Click Add 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
@
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 Hostinger

  1. In Manage DNS records, choose TXT as the type.
  2. Enter the Name (@ for the root, or only the prefix such as _dmarc) and the TXT value.
  3. Click Add Record.

Set up DKIM

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

Type
CNAME
Name
protonmail._domainkey
Content
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
Name
protonmail2._domainkey
Content
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
Name
protonmail3._domainkey
Content
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 Hostinger

  1. In Manage DNS records, choose CNAME as the type.
  2. Enter the name (only the prefix) and the content your provider gives you.
  3. Click Add 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
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 Hostinger

  1. In Manage DNS records, choose TXT as the type.
  2. Enter the Name (@ for the root, or only the prefix such as _dmarc) and the TXT value.
  3. Click Add 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 Hostinger’s words.

We only read public DNS records. Nothing is stored.

Common mistakes with Proton Mail on Hostinger

Adding only one DKIM record

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

Hostinger: Delete Hostinger Email's MX records

If the domain was set up for Hostinger Email, the zone contains MX records for mx1.hostinger.com and mx2.hostinger.com. Delete them before adding another provider's MX records.

Hostinger: Clear out old email records

Hostinger recommends removing any existing MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records that point to other email services, because conflicting records cause delivery problems.

Visit Proton Mail Visit Hostinger

Proton Mail on Hostinger: questions

Where do I add Proton Mail DNS records in Hostinger?

In hPanel, go to Domains and click Manage next to your domain. Open DNS / Nameservers on the left. Use the Manage DNS records section. Add each record there, one at a time.

What goes in the Name field at Hostinger?

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

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

Delete any other MX records, or make sure Proton's have the lowest priority number. If the domain was set up for Hostinger Email, the zone contains MX records for mx1.hostinger.com and mx2.hostinger.com. Delete them before adding another provider's MX records. Hostinger recommends removing any existing MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records that point to other email services, because conflicting records cause delivery problems.

How long until Proton Mail works on Hostinger?

Hostinger says DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to fully propagate.

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 Hostinger