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How do I get a professional email on my domain?

Straight answer

To get email on your domain, you sign up for an email service like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, then add the DNS records it gives you at your registrar. That routes mail for [email protected] to your new inbox. It is separate from your website hosting, and takes about fifteen minutes to set up.

Information current as at 5 July 2026

A business that emails customers from a personal gmail address leaves money on the table, because it reads as small and temporary. Putting email on your own domain is quick, cheap, and one of the highest-trust changes you can make. It is also completely separate from your website, which trips some people up.

Plain English
Mailbox
The inbox itself, where your mail is stored and read, provided by an email service.
MX record
The DNS record that tells the internet which server handles mail for your domain.
SPF and DKIM
DNS records that prove your mail is genuine, so it lands in inboxes not spam.
Alias
An extra address, like hello@, that delivers into an existing mailbox.

Step by step

  1. Understand that email and website are separateYour website and your email are two different services that happen to share a domain. Hosting runs your pages; an email provider runs your inboxes. They connect to your domain through different DNS records, which is why you can have a live site with no email, or email with no site. Knowing this stops the common confusion of expecting your web host to also handle your mail.
  2. Choose an email providerFor most businesses the two solid choices are Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Both give you a real mailbox on your domain, a calendar, and the familiar tools, for a modest monthly per-user fee. If you only need a single forwarding address, some registrars offer basic email forwarding for free or cheap, which sends mail from you@yourdomain to an existing inbox. Pick a full mailbox if you will send as well as receive, and forwarding only if you just need mail to reach you.
  3. Sign up and verify you own the domainCreate the account and, when asked, prove you own the domain by adding a verification record to your DNS. The provider walks you through it. This step simply confirms to them that you control the address before they route mail for it. It is the same DNS panel at your registrar that you used for the website, just a different record.
  4. Add the mail recordsThe provider gives you a set of DNS records: MX records that route incoming mail to their servers, and SPF and DKIM records that prove your outgoing mail is genuine. Add them exactly at your registrar. The SPF and DKIM records matter more than people think: without them, your mail is far more likely to land in spam, which quietly undermines every email you send.
  5. Test both directions and set up aliasesSend an email to your new address from your phone and confirm it arrives, then send one out and check it reaches an outside inbox without landing in spam. Once it works, set up any aliases you need, like hello@ or accounts@, so different purposes reach the right place without paying for extra mailboxes. Now your business speaks from its own name.
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Show us what you built.

If you have made something and it needs to become real, send it over. We will tell you honestly what it needs to be live, safe and yours, whether that is a quick fix you can do or a proper build. No obligation.

Common questions

Questions, answered

Can I just forward my domain email to my gmail?
Yes, many registrars offer email forwarding, which sends anything at you@yourdomain to an existing inbox. It is cheap and fine for receiving. The limit is sending: to reply as you@yourdomain you usually want a full mailbox with proper SPF and DKIM so your replies are not flagged as spam.
Will setting up email affect my website?
No, as long as you only add the mail records and leave the website records alone. They share the domain but use different DNS entries. The one thing to avoid is overwriting your existing records; add the new mail ones alongside, do not replace anything.
Why do my emails go to spam?
Usually missing or incorrect SPF and DKIM records, which are how receiving servers check your mail is genuine. Add the exact records your email provider gives you. Sending from a brand-new domain and blasting many emails at once also hurts, so warm it up gradually.
How much does business email cost?
A full mailbox from a major provider is a small monthly fee per user, in the range of a couple of coffees a month. Basic forwarding can be free or near-free. For most businesses the mailbox is worth it for the credibility and the ability to send, not just receive.
Keep reading
What is a domain and do I need one? →How do I connect my domain to my site? →What do I need before I can launch? A checklist →The automation and integrations system →All playbook articles →
No pressure
Show us what you built.

If you have made something and it needs to become real, send it over. We will tell you honestly what it needs to be live, safe and yours, whether that is a quick fix you can do or a proper build. No obligation.

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