Rackspace Email + IONOS

Set up Rackspace Email on IONOS

The records Rackspace Email needs, written with the field names IONOS uses (Host name, Points to, Value, Alias), 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 IONOS: Sign in at login.ionos.com, select Menu, then Domains and SSL. Under Actions for your domain, select the gear icon, then DNS.
  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 Rackspace Cloud Office Control Panel” are unique to your account.

MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Host name @ Value mx1.emailsrvr.com Priority 10 TTL 3600 (1 h)
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Host name @ Value mx2.emailsrvr.com Priority 20 TTL 3600 (1 h)
SPF record Which servers may send as you Type TXT Host name Leave empty Value v=spf1 include:emailsrvr.com ~all Priority n/a TTL 3600 (1 h)
DKIM A signature on every message Type TXT Host name 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 name _dmarc Value v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com Priority n/a TTL Default
Autodiscover Automatic app setup · recommended Type CNAME Host name autodiscover Value autodiscover.emailsrvr.com Priority n/a TTL 3600 (1 h)

Step by step in IONOS

Point your MX records

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

Type
MX
Host name
@
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 name
@
Priority
20
Points to
mx2.emailsrvr.com

In IONOS

  1. Select Add record, then the MX section.
  2. Enter @ as Host name, the mail server in Points to, and the Priority. Choose 1 hour for TTL.
  3. Select Save.
  4. If other MX records are listed, delete each one with the Delete record (trash can) icon.
  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
Host name
Leave this field empty
Value
v=spf1 include:emailsrvr.com ~all

In IONOS

  1. Select Add record, then the TXT section.
  2. Leave Host name empty for your bare domain, paste the Value, and choose a TTL.
  3. Select Save.

Set up DKIM

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

Type
TXT
Host name
See below
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 IONOS

  1. Select Add record, then the TXT section.
  2. Leave Host name empty for your bare domain, paste the Value, and choose a TTL.
  3. Select Save.

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
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 IONOS

  1. Select Add record, then the TXT section.
  2. Leave Host name empty for your bare domain, paste the Value, and choose a TTL.
  3. Select Save.

Add the Autodiscover record (recommended)

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

Type
CNAME
Host name
autodiscover
Alias
autodiscover.emailsrvr.com

In IONOS

  1. Select Subdomains, then Add subdomain, and enter the record's name (for example autodiscover).
  2. Under Actions for the new subdomain, select the gear icon, then DNS.
  3. Select Add record, then the CNAME section.
  4. Enter the target in the Alias box, tick the I am aware disclaimer if it appears, and select Save.

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 IONOS’s words.

We only read public DNS records. Nothing is stored.

Common mistakes with Rackspace Email on IONOS

Leaving other MX records

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

IONOS: CNAME records go on their own subdomain

IONOS supports only one top-level CNAME record, so each CNAME is created by first adding a subdomain and then giving it an Alias.

IONOS: MX and a top-level Autodiscover CNAME can't coexist

IONOS doesn't allow a domain to have both an MX record and a top-level Autodiscover CNAME. Microsoft's guide uses the subdomain method above for Autodiscover.

Visit Rackspace Email Visit IONOS

Rackspace Email on IONOS: questions

Where do I add Rackspace Email DNS records in IONOS?

Sign in at login.ionos.com, select Menu, then Domains and SSL. Under Actions for your domain, select the gear icon, then DNS. Add each record there, one at a time.

What goes in the Host name field at IONOS?

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. IONOS adds your domain automatically.

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

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.

Where do I get my Rackspace Email DKIM record?

Use the value shown in the table on this page.

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.

IONOS steps and tips

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

Rackspace Email on other hosts

Other email providers on IONOS