Proton Mail + OVHcloud

Set up Proton Mail on OVHcloud

The records Proton Mail needs, written with the field names OVHcloud uses (Subdomain, Target, 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 OVHcloud: Sign in to the OVHcloud Control Panel (ovh.com/manager). Under View all my activity, select your domain name. Open the DNS zone tab.
  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 Proton Mail settings (Domain names)” are unique to your account.

Domain verification Proves you own the domain Type TXT Subdomain Leave empty 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 Subdomain Leave empty Value mail.protonmail.ch. Priority 10 TTL Default
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Subdomain Leave empty Value mailsec.protonmail.ch. Priority 20 TTL Default
SPF record Which servers may send as you Type TXT Subdomain Leave empty Value v=spf1 include:_spf.protonmail.ch ~all Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Subdomain protonmail._domainkey Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Subdomain protonmail2._domainkey Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Subdomain 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 Subdomain _dmarc Value v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com Priority n/a TTL Default

Step by step in OVHcloud

Verify your domain

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

Type
TXT
Subdomain
Leave this field empty
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 OVHcloud

  1. Select the Add an entry tile.
  2. In Extended records, choose TXT.
  3. Fill in Subdomain (empty for your bare domain) and Value.
  4. Select Next, then Confirm.

Point your MX records

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

Type
MX
Subdomain
Leave this field empty
Priority
10
Target
mail.protonmail.ch.
  • Delete any other MX records, or make sure Proton's have the lowest priority number.
Type
MX
Subdomain
Leave this field empty
Priority
20
Target
mailsec.protonmail.ch.

In OVHcloud

  1. Select the Add an entry tile.
  2. In Mail records, choose MX.
  3. Leave Subdomain empty, enter the Priority and the Target (ending with a dot), and a TTL.
  4. Select Next, then Confirm.
  5. Delete older MX records with the trash icon in the Actions column.
  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
Subdomain
Leave this field empty
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 OVHcloud

  1. Select the Add an entry tile.
  2. In Extended records, choose TXT.
  3. Fill in Subdomain (empty for your bare domain) and Value.
  4. Select Next, then Confirm.

Set up DKIM

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

Type
CNAME
Subdomain
protonmail._domainkey
Target
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
Subdomain
protonmail2._domainkey
Target
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
Subdomain
protonmail3._domainkey
Target
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 OVHcloud

  1. Select the Add an entry tile.
  2. In Pointer records, choose CNAME.
  3. Fill in Subdomain and the Target (ending with a dot).
  4. Select Next, then Confirm.
  5. 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
Subdomain
_dmarc
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 OVHcloud

  1. Select the Add an entry tile.
  2. In Extended records, choose TXT.
  3. Fill in Subdomain (empty for your bare domain) and Value.
  4. Select Next, then Confirm.

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 OVHcloud’s words.

We only read public DNS records. Nothing is stored.

Common mistakes with Proton Mail on OVHcloud

Adding only one DKIM record

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

OVHcloud: End targets with a dot

By default OVHcloud treats a target without a final dot as relative and adds your domain to the end. End MX and CNAME targets with a dot, for example mx1.example.com.

Visit Proton Mail Visit OVHcloud

Proton Mail on OVHcloud: questions

Where do I add Proton Mail DNS records in OVHcloud?

Sign in to the OVHcloud Control Panel (ovh.com/manager). Under View all my activity, select your domain name. Open the DNS zone tab. Add each record there, one at a time.

What goes in the Subdomain field at OVHcloud?

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 protonmail._domainkey. OVHcloud adds your domain automatically.

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

Delete any other MX records, or make sure Proton's have the lowest priority number. By default OVHcloud treats a target without a final dot as relative and adds your domain to the end. End MX and CNAME targets with a dot, for example mx1.example.com.

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.

OVHcloud steps and tips

Some of these are other email providers' official guides for OVHcloud. They describe the same OVHcloud dashboard.

Proton Mail on other hosts

Other email providers on OVHcloud