---
title: Use your own email service with your domain
description: Starter has no email, so you bring your own. You can also keep mail with another service on Simple or Business. Your site stays here, and your mail goes to the email service you choose. You set this up with…
url: "https://getsimple.net/knowledgebase/use-your-own-email-service/"
updated: "2026-11-01"
category: Email
---

# Use your own email service with your domain

Starter has no email, so you bring your own. You can also keep mail with another service on Simple or Business. Your site stays here, and your mail goes to the email service you choose. You set this up with a few records in your control panel.

## Before you start

- Sign up with your email service and add your domain there.
- Copy the records your email service gives you. Most services give you mail records, and often one or more TXT records.
- Open your control panel. See [How to open your control panel](/knowledgebase/open-hosting-panel/).
- If your domain's DNS is at your registrar, not with us, add the records there instead and skip to step 9.

## Set up your own email service

1. Open **Websites** and select your site.
2. Open **Domains**, then the three-dot menu next to the domain, then **Manage**.
3. Open **Mail routing settings** and select **Remote mail** (there's no Save button). This tells your control panel that mail for this domain is handled by another service. Pick it only when your email service is ready.
4. Scroll to **DNS records** and select **Add record**.
5. In the form that opens, pick the **Type** of the record. Your email service lists its mail records by type (such as MX or TXT).
6. Enter the details exactly as your email service shows them:
   - MX: **Hostname**, **Priority** and **Target domain**
   - TXT: **Hostname** and **Value**

   Leave **Use zone default** turned on for TTL.
7. Select **Create**. **Create** stays dimmed until the required fields are filled.
8. Repeat for each record your email service gave you.
9. In your email service, run its domain check. DNS changes can take from a few minutes up to 24 to 48 hours.

## FAQ

### Does my website keep working while I set this up?

Yes. These records only change where mail goes. Your site stays on your hosting.

### Can I move to email on my plan later?

Yes. Simple includes 2 mailboxes and Business includes 5. See [Hosting plans: Starter, Simple, and Business](/knowledgebase/hosting-plans-starter-simple-business/).

### My email service says the records aren't found. What now?

Wait for DNS to update, then run the check again. Still not found? Open a ticket from [Get Help](/knowledgebase/get-help/) with your domain and the records your email service asked for.

## Related

- [Starter hosting plan](/knowledgebase/starter-hosting-plan/)
- [Point your domain at Get Simple](/knowledgebase/point-your-domain/)
- [Why is my email going to the spam folder?](/knowledgebase/why-is-my-e-mail-is-going-to-the-bulk-or-spam-folder/)
- [Shared hosting](/shared-hosting/)