Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 use different MX destinations, so a domain should publish the value shown for the mail platform that is meant to receive its incoming email. Google’s current setup guide specifies smtp.google.com at priority 1; Microsoft 365 uses a tenant-specific destination in the form <domainKey>.mail.protection.outlook.com. An MX change directs new inbound mail; it does not move existing mailbox contents or, by itself, configure advanced routing.
What an MX record does—and what it does not do
An MX record tells other mail systems where to deliver email for a domain. It identifies the destination for inbound mail, not the location of historical messages and not the full set of rules for deciding which mailbox or server should receive each message.
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That distinction matters during a platform move. Changing MX directs new inbound messages toward the destination once the DNS change is recognized. Mailbox creation or migration, forwarding, and coexistence routing are separate tasks that need their own plan.
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| Setup detail | Google Workspace | Microsoft 365 |
|---|---|---|
| MX destination | smtp.google.com, the value in Google’s current setup guide. Google says domains already using working legacy aspmx records can keep them; they do not need to change solely for this update. |
A tenant-specific value in the form <domainKey>.mail.protection.outlook.com. Get the exact value from the Microsoft 365 domain setup instructions; do not use the pattern itself as a literal destination. |
| Record details | Google specifies record type MX, host/name blank or @, priority 1, and destination smtp.google.com. DNS host field conventions vary. |
Publish the tenant-specific MX value as directed by the Microsoft 365 setup workflow and DNS instructions. The cited guidance does not establish one universal value or priority for every tenant. |
| Admin sequence | Verify domain ownership, add the MX entry at the DNS host, then activate Gmail in the Admin console. | Use the Microsoft 365 setup wizard to add and verify the domain, create or move mailboxes, and then update DNS. |
| Existing MX entries | For this setup, Google says to remove other MX entries that could interfere. Its guide separately says working legacy Google records may remain. | Follow the instructions for the specific tenant. Do not infer a complete MX configuration from a sample domain. |
Set up Google Workspace MX records
- Verify the domain. Confirm domain ownership through Google Workspace before activating Gmail.
- Open your domain’s DNS settings. At the DNS host, add an MX record using Google’s documented destination
smtp.google.com, priority1, and a blank host/name or@, depending on the host’s convention. - Remove conflicting MX entries. Google directs administrators setting up its current record to remove other or incorrect MX entries. A domain already using working legacy Google
aspmxrecords does not need to replace them just because the current guide specifies a newer value. - Activate Gmail. After publishing the DNS entry, complete Gmail activation in the Google Admin console.
DNS hosts do not all present record fields the same way. Google notes that some require a trailing dot, some offer a preset destination, and some combine priority and destination in one field. Follow the host’s field instructions while preserving Google’s specified value and priority.
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Set up Microsoft 365 MX records
- Start in the Microsoft 365 setup wizard. Add the custom domain and verify ownership using the instructions shown for that domain.
- Prepare mailboxes. Create or move the mailboxes that should receive mail before changing the domain’s MX destination.
- Copy the exact tenant-specific MX value. Use the value displayed in the domain’s Microsoft 365 setup instructions. It follows the pattern
<domainKey>.mail.protection.outlook.com, but the domain key is specific to the tenant. - Update DNS as instructed. Publish the MX record at the domain’s DNS host using the settings in the Microsoft workflow. Do not substitute Google’s destination or a guessed Microsoft tenant value.
Plan mail routing when both platforms or servers are involved
A domain’s MX destination is not a reliable substitute for recipient-level routing between two mail systems. If some recipients remain on one platform while others move, configure mail flow in the relevant admin platform rather than assuming that multiple MX records will divide messages by recipient.
Google Workspace routing
Google documents Default routing for default delivery, including dual-delivery use cases, and Routing settings for more specialized rules or overrides. Its documented scenarios include split delivery to different systems for different recipients, dual delivery, routing to an on-premises server, outbound gateways, and TLS requirements. Split delivery is configured through Admin console routing and address maps.
Microsoft 365 connectors
Microsoft documents connectors for routing mail between Microsoft 365 and SMTP-based email servers. The appropriate connector design depends on the mail direction and the existing server arrangement; there is no single configuration that fits every migration or coexistence setup.
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Choose the flow before changing DNS
- Identify which recipients should receive mail in each system and whether any on-premises server remains in the path.
- Decide whether the transition requires split delivery, dual delivery, forwarding, or connector-based routing.
- Set up the mailboxes and routing rules needed for the intended flow before directing the domain’s inbound mail to the new platform.
Keep SPF separate from inbound MX routing
SPF is a TXT record that identifies which systems are authorized to send mail for a domain; it is not the MX record that directs incoming messages. Microsoft’s example, v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all, applies to the stated case where Microsoft 365 sends all mail for the domain. If other services send on the domain’s behalf, the SPF design needs to account for those senders rather than copying that example unchanged.
Check propagation and troubleshoot delivery
Google says new MX records can take up to 72 hours to be recognized. That is Google’s stated estimate for its setup guidance, not a universal promise for every DNS host or Microsoft 365 tenant.
- Confirm that the published record has the intended destination, priority, and host/name formatting.
- Check the public MX records with Google Admin Toolbox Dig, which Google references for troubleshooting.
- Verify that Gmail has been activated for a Google Workspace setup, or that the Microsoft 365 domain and mailboxes are prepared as required by that tenant’s setup workflow.
- If mail should reach different platforms or servers, inspect the relevant routing rules or connectors; MX alone does not express recipient-level delivery policy.
Sources and scope
This comparison reflects the Google Workspace Admin Help pages “Set up MX records for Google Workspace,” “Email routing and delivery options for Google Workspace,” “DNS basics,” and “Set up an inbound mail gateway,” along with Microsoft Learn’s “Manage all mailboxes and mail flow using Microsoft 365 or Office 365” and “Set up connectors to route mail between Microsoft 365 or Office 365 and your own email servers.” The guidance is limited to MX setup and mail routing; it does not compare performance or pricing.
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