For a new Google Workspace setup, publish one MX record pointing to smtp.google.com with priority 1, then activate Gmail in the Google Admin console. If your older Workspace domain already receives mail through working aspmx records, Google says you do not need to replace them.
Choose the record for your domain’s situation
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| New Google Workspace setup | Add the single MX record Google currently specifies: destination smtp.google.com, priority 1. Google’s setup instructions say to remove other MX records that conflict with this configuration. Google Workspace Admin Help: Set up MX records for Google Workspace. |
Older Workspace domain with working email and aspmx MX records |
Leave the working records in place. Google says domains that started using Workspace before 2023 can have legacy MX values beginning with aspmx; those values remain supported and do not need to be changed just to match the new setup. Google Workspace Admin Help: Set up MX records for Google Workspace. |
Google’s current setup guidance identifies smtp.google.com as the MX destination. Do not mix a new configuration with unrelated or conflicting MX entries; for a domain already using a working legacy configuration, do not remove those records solely because the setup guide shows one newer value.
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Enter the new MX record using your DNS provider’s format
For a new setup, use these values. The names of fields vary between DNS providers, so map the values to the provider’s own interface rather than assuming every form uses identical labels.
| DNS field | Value or instruction |
|---|---|
| Type | MX |
| Host, name, or alias | For the root domain, leave blank or enter @, depending on the provider. For a subdomain, enter that subdomain’s label. |
| Priority | 1 |
| Destination or value | smtp.google.com. Some providers require a trailing dot: smtp.google.com.; others provide a preset. |
| TTL | Use the provider default or enter 1, as Google’s setup page allows. |
Before saving, confirm the provider’s conventions for the host field, destination, priority, and trailing dot. If the provider offers a Google Workspace preset, check that its resulting record matches Google’s current guidance.
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Publish the record and activate Gmail
Changing DNS and enabling Gmail in Workspace are separate tasks. Google’s setup sequence requires the domain to be verified, the MX record to be added with the DNS host, and Gmail to be activated in the Admin console.
- Confirm that ownership of the domain is verified in Google Workspace.
- Sign in to the service that manages the domain’s DNS and add the MX record. Use the DNS host’s field conventions and save the change.
- In the Google Admin console, go to Account > Domains > Manage domains and activate Gmail for the domain. The administrator needs the relevant domain settings privilege.
- Allow time for Google to recognize the new record. Google says recognition can take up to 72 hours; this is its stated maximum window, not a measured average. Google Workspace Admin Help: Set up MX records for Google Workspace.
Check why Gmail is not activating or mail is missing
If activation or delivery fails, inspect what is actually published before repeatedly changing DNS values.
- Recheck the destination spelling, priority, host/name, and whether your provider expects a trailing dot.
- Look for conflicting MX records if this is a new setup. Do not remove a working legacy
aspmxconfiguration from an older domain simply to make it resemble the new setup. - Use Google’s Admin Toolbox Dig to inspect the domain’s published MX records. Enter the domain without
www. - If the DNS provider’s interface or record format is unclear, contact the registrar or DNS host.
- For missing messages, Google also recommends checking Workspace service status and using Email Log Search. Its receiving-mail troubleshooting page notes that MX records must point to Google mail servers for Workspace users to send and receive mail. Google Workspace Admin Help: Troubleshoot problems receiving emails in Gmail.
Understand TTL before making repeated changes
TTL is the number of seconds that DNS resolvers may keep a record before checking for an update. Google’s DNS basics page recommends a TTL of 3600 seconds when a shorter interval for checking record updates is desired, and 86400 seconds once records are configured correctly. A shorter TTL does not make an already-cached record expire immediately: the previous TTL period must first run out. Google illustrates that a TTL of 86400 seconds can mean up to 24 hours before a change takes effect. Google Workspace Admin Help: DNS basics. These TTL values are general DNS guidance, not alternate MX destinations or required values for every provider.
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Sources
- Google Workspace Admin Help: Set up MX records for Google Workspace
- Google Workspace Admin Help: DNS basics
- Google Workspace Admin Help: Troubleshoot problems receiving emails in Gmail
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