Zoho Mail + Bluehost

Set up Zoho Mail on Bluehost

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

  • 5 steps
  • 7 DNS records

Not sure of your region? Check the address you sign in at: accounts.zoho.com, accounts.zoho.eu, accounts.zoho.in, accounts.zoho.com.au, accounts.zoho.jp, accounts.zohocloud.ca, accounts.zoho.sa.

Before you start

  1. Have your Zoho Mail account ready. Some values are unique to your account and come from the Zoho Mail Admin Console .
  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.

Zoho Mail on Bluehost: what to know

How long changes take

Zoho’s Bluehost guide says to allow at least an hour for the verification CNAME and 6 to 24 hours for MX changes.

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: DNS Record Configuration for Bluehost (Zoho Mail Help), How to Edit MX Records (Bluehost Help)

Records to add

Copy each value with the button next to it. Rows marked “Copy from Zoho Mail Admin Console” are unique to your account.

Domain verification Proves you own the domain Type TXT Host Record @ Value Copy from Zoho Mail Admin Console Looks like: zoho-verification=zb followed by a unique code and .zmverify.zoho. Priority n/a TTL Default
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Host Record @ Value mx.zoho.com Priority 10 TTL Default
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Host Record @ Value mx2.zoho.com Priority 20 TTL Default
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Host Record @ Value mx3.zoho.com Priority 50 TTL Default
SPF record Which servers may send as you Type TXT Host Record @ Value v=spf1 include:zohomail.com -all Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type TXT Host Record <selector>._domainkey Value Copy from Zoho Mail Admin Console 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 Zoho Mail Admin Console (see below)

Where to find your value

In the Zoho Mail Admin Console (mailadmin.zoho.com) open Domains, select your domain and go to Verify Domain Ownership. Choose TXT from the drop-down to see your value.

It looks like: zoho-verification=zb followed by a unique code and .zmverify.zoho.

  • Enter @ or leave the host blank.

3 more notes from Zoho Mail on this record

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
mx.zoho.com
  • Remove existing MX records first. Records from a previous provider with equal or higher priority (such as 0 or 5) can stop mail reaching Zoho.
Type
MX
Host Record
@
Priority
20
Points to
mx2.zoho.com
Type
MX
Host Record
@
Priority
50
Points to
mx3.zoho.com

1 more note from Zoho Mail on this record

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:zohomail.com -all
  • Keep only one SPF record and stay under 10 DNS lookups.

1 more note from Zoho Mail on this record

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.
  5. Repeat for each TXT record above.

Set up DKIM

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

Type
TXT
Host Name
<selector>._domainkey
TXT Value
Copy it from Zoho Mail Admin Console (see below)

Host Name: The selector is the name you type when adding DKIM in Zoho. Zoho's example is zoho, which gives the host zoho._domainkey.

Where to find your value

In the Zoho Mail Admin Console go to Domains, select your domain, open the Email Configuration tab and select DKIM. Click Add, enter a selector, choose a 1024 or 2048-bit key, and copy the TXT value.

  • After the record is published, click Verify for the selector in Zoho, then enable DKIM.

1 more note from Zoho Mail on this record

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
  • Roll out in phases: p=none (reports only), then p=quarantine, then p=reject, raising pct gradually.

3 more notes from Zoho Mail on this record

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 Zoho Mail on Bluehost

Using US MX values for a non-US account

The MX domain ending changes with your Zoho data center. If you signed up in the EU, India or another region, copy the values from your Admin Console.

Keeping old MX records with a low number

Records from a previous provider with equal or higher priority (such as 0 or 5) can stop mail reaching Zoho. Delete them.

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.

3 more Zoho Mail mistakes to avoid

Visit Zoho Mail Visit Bluehost

Zoho Mail on Bluehost: questions

Which TTL should I use at Bluehost?

Zoho’s Bluehost guide says the TTL should be 4 hours.

My Bluehost dashboard looks different from the steps.

Zoho’s guide covers both Bluehost layouts: in the older one use DNS Zone Editor in the Domains section; in the newer one go to Domains, select Manage next to the domain, then DNS.

Where do I add Zoho 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 _dmarc.

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

Remove existing MX records first. Records from a previous provider with equal or higher priority (such as 0 or 5) can stop mail reaching Zoho. 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 Zoho Mail works on Bluehost?

Zoho’s Bluehost guide says to allow at least an hour for the verification CNAME and 6 to 24 hours for MX changes. 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.

Zoho Mail on other hosts

Other email providers on Bluehost