Rackspace Email + Bluehost

Set up Rackspace Email on Bluehost

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

  • 5 steps
  • 6 DNS records

Before you start

  1. Have your Rackspace Email account ready. Some values are unique to your account and come from the Rackspace Cloud Office Control Panel .
  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.

Rackspace Email 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 Rackspace Cloud Office Control Panel” are unique to your account.

MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Host Record @ Value mx1.emailsrvr.com Priority 10 TTL 3600 (1 h)
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Host Record @ Value mx2.emailsrvr.com Priority 20 TTL 3600 (1 h)
SPF record Which servers may send as you Type TXT Host Record @ Value v=spf1 include:emailsrvr.com ~all Priority n/a TTL 3600 (1 h)
DKIM A signature on every message Type TXT Host Record See your provider Value Copy from Rackspace Cloud Office Control Panel Not yet confirmed by us 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
Autodiscover Automatic app setup · recommended Type CNAME Host Record autodiscover Value autodiscover.emailsrvr.com Priority n/a TTL 3600 (1 h)

Step by step in Bluehost

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
mx1.emailsrvr.com
  • Rackspace warns that no other MX records should exist, or you'll have problems with your email.
  • Use 3600 seconds or the lowest TTL your host allows.
Type
MX
Host Record
@
Priority
20
Points to
mx2.emailsrvr.com

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:emailsrvr.com ~all

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
TXT
Host Name
See below
TXT Value
Copy it from Rackspace Cloud Office Control Panel (see below)

Where to find your value

In the Cloud Office Control Panel, go to Domains → Sender Authentication (DKIM), select your domain and click Enable DKIM for it.

We haven’t been able to confirm this value from Rackspace Email's public docs yet, so we don’t show one.

  • After adding the TXT record, click Verify TXT Record in the control panel.
  • Allow 24 to 48 hours for the record to propagate.

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.

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
  • Rackspace's setup page doesn't list a DMARC value. This is the standard starting record; replace the report address with one you read.

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.

Add the Autodiscover record (recommended)

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

Type
CNAME
Host Record
autodiscover
Points to
autodiscover.emailsrvr.com

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.

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 Rackspace Email on Bluehost

Leaving other MX records

Rackspace says no other MX record entries should exist alongside mx1 and mx2.emailsrvr.com.

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 Rackspace Email Visit Bluehost

Rackspace Email on Bluehost: questions

Where do I add Rackspace Email 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 _dmarc.

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

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 Rackspace Email MX records and delete the rest. 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.

Where do I get my Rackspace Email DKIM record?

Use the value shown in the table on this page.

How long until Rackspace Email 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.

Rackspace Email on other hosts

Other email providers on Bluehost