Zoho Mail + Cloudflare

Set up Zoho Mail on Cloudflare

The records Zoho Mail needs, written with the field names Cloudflare uses (Name, Mail server, Content, Target), 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 Cloudflare: Sign in to the Cloudflare dashboard and select your domain. Open the DNS Records page.
  3. Keep both tabs open and add the records below one at a time.

Zoho Mail also publishes its own guide for Cloudflare: Cloudflare DNS: TXT, CNAME, MX Records (Zoho Mail Help) .

Zoho Mail on Cloudflare: what to know

How long changes take

Cloudflare says changes to your DNS records take effect worldwide within 5 minutes, usually much less. A record you replaced can stay cached until its old TTL runs out.

Source: FAQ (Cloudflare DNS Docs)

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

Step by step in Cloudflare

Verify your domain

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

Type
TXT
Name
@
Content
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 Cloudflare

  1. On the DNS Records page, select Add record.
  2. Choose TXT as the Type.
  3. Fill in Name and Content.
  4. Select Save.

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
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
Name
@
Priority
20
Mail server
mx2.zoho.com
Type
MX
Name
@
Priority
50
Mail server
mx3.zoho.com

1 more note from Zoho Mail on this record

In Cloudflare

  1. On the DNS Records page, select Add record.
  2. Choose MX as the Type.
  3. Fill in Name, Mail server and Priority.
  4. Select Save.
  5. Delete any other MX records: select Edit on each one, then Delete, and confirm.
  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
Name
@
Content
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 Cloudflare

  1. On the DNS Records page, select Add record.
  2. Choose TXT as the Type.
  3. Fill in Name and Content.
  4. Select Save.
  5. Repeat for each TXT record above.

Set up DKIM

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

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

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 Cloudflare

  1. On the DNS Records page, select Add record.
  2. Choose TXT as the Type.
  3. Fill in Name and Content.
  4. Select Save.

Add the DMARC record (recommended)

DMARC tells receivers what to do with mail that fakes your domain. How DMARC works

Type
TXT
Name
_dmarc
Content
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 Cloudflare

  1. On the DNS Records page, select Add record.
  2. Choose TXT as the Type.
  3. Fill in Name and Content.
  4. 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 Cloudflare’s words.

We only read public DNS records. Nothing is stored.

Common mistakes with Zoho Mail on Cloudflare

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.

Cloudflare: Keep email CNAMEs on DNS only

Set Proxy status to DNS only (grey cloud) for DKIM and verification CNAME records. Cloudflare says records used for email or domain verification should not be proxied, and may block proxying DKIM CNAMEs.

Cloudflare: Turn off Cloudflare Email Routing first

If Email Routing is on, Cloudflare has added locked MX records (route1, route2 and route3.mx.cloudflare.net) and an SPF record with include:_spf.mx.cloudflare.net. Unlock them or disable Email Routing (Compute > Email Service > Email Routing > your domain > Settings) before switching to another provider. Email Routing can't be used with an outside mail server.

3 more Zoho Mail mistakes to avoid

Visit Zoho Mail Visit Cloudflare

Zoho Mail on Cloudflare: questions

I used Cloudflare Email Routing before. How do I move to Zoho without losing mail?

Unlock the Email Routing records (Email Routing > Settings > DNS records > Unlock), add Zoho’s records alongside them, and disable Email Routing once Zoho receives mail. Disabling removes the MX, SPF and DKIM records Email Routing added.

What happens after I select Authorize in Cloudflare?

Zoho says domain verification is then complete. Check that the domain’s General tab in the Zoho Admin Console shows ownership as verified.

Where do I add Zoho Mail DNS records in Cloudflare?

Sign in to the Cloudflare dashboard and select your domain. Open the DNS Records page. Add each record there, one at a time.

What goes in the Name field at Cloudflare?

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

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

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. If Email Routing is on, Cloudflare has added locked MX records (route1, route2 and route3.mx.cloudflare.net) and an SPF record with include:_spf.mx.cloudflare.net. Unlock them or disable Email Routing (Compute > Email Service > Email Routing > your domain > Settings) before switching to another provider. Email Routing can't be used with an outside mail server.

Can Zoho Mail add the records at Cloudflare for me?

Cloudflare supports Domain Connect, so Microsoft 365 and Zoho Mail can add records for you after you sign in and authorize.

How long until Zoho Mail works on Cloudflare?

MX changes can take an hour or two to take effect. SPF and DKIM can take 4 to 48 hours. Cloudflare says changes to your DNS records take effect worldwide within 5 minutes, usually much less. A record you replaced can stay cached until its old TTL runs out.

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 Cloudflare