Setting up MX Records in Plesk for Google Workspace

Introduction

This knowledgebase article will guide you through the process of setting up the correct MX records in Plesk to enable Google Workspace to work for your custom domain. Properly configuring your MX records is crucial for ensuring that your emails are correctly routed through Google's mail servers.

Prerequisites:

1. A Plesk control panel hosting account.
2. An active Google Workspace subscription.
3. A custom domain added to your Google Workspace account.

Step 1: Gather Google Workspace MX Records Before making any changes in Plesk, you will need to obtain the MX records from your Google Workspace account. Google's MX records typically look like this:

1. ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM (Priority: 1)
2. ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM (Priority: 5)
3. ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM (Priority: 5)
4. ALT3.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM (Priority: 10)
5. ALT4.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM (Priority: 10)

Please note that Google may change its MX records in the future. To get the most up-to-date records, visit this Google Workspace support page: https://support.google.com/a/answer/174125

Step 2: Log in to Plesk

1. Log in to your Plesk control panel using your account credentials or from your client page.

Step 3: Navigate to DNS Settings

1. In the Plesk control panel, click on "Websites & Domains" in the left sidebar.
2. Locate your custom domain and click on "DNS Settings" or "DNS" next to it.

Step 4: Remove Existing MX Records

1. Check the list of DNS records for any existing MX records. These records are identified by their "MX" record type.
2. Remove any existing MX records by clicking on the "Remove" button next to them.
3. Click on "Update" or "Apply" to save your changes.

Step 5: Add Google Workspace MX Records

1. Click on "Add Record" in the DNS settings page.
2. Choose "MX" as the record type from the dropdown menu.
3. Enter "@" in the "Domain name" field to indicate that this record applies to the root domain.
4. Copy and paste the first Google Workspace MX record (ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM) into the "Mail exchange server" field.
5. Set the priority to "1" and click "OK" or "Add" to save the record.
6. Repeat steps 1-5 for each of the remaining Google Workspace MX records, making sure to enter the correct priority for each one.

Step 6: Verify MX Records

1. After you have added all the Google Workspace MX records, click on "Update" or "Apply" to save your changes.
2. Allow some time (up to 48 hours) for the DNS changes to propagate across the internet.
3. Once the propagation is complete, you can verify your MX records using a third-party tool like MX Toolbox (https://mxtoolbox.com/) or Google's own MX record checking tool (https://toolbox.googleapps.com/apps/checkmx/).

Step 7: Finalize Google Workspace Setup After successfully configuring your MX records in Plesk, go back to your Google Workspace admin console to complete the email setup process. Follow the on-screen instructions to verify your domain and finalize your email configuration.

Conclusion

You have now successfully set up the correct MX records in Plesk for Google Workspace on your custom domain. This will enable you to use Google's email services with your custom domain, ensuring smooth email delivery and management