Hostgator DNS Setup For ImprovMX

1. View and copy your MX & SPF records

Before you begin, you'll need to retrieve your DNS records from ImprovMX. Follow our Viewing MX & SPF records guide to find and copy them. You will be required to copy them into Hostgator.

2. Set MX Records in Hostgator

Navigate to your Hostgator Dashboard, go to Domains, select your domain, then click Advanced Tools → Manage → Domain Details.

First, remove any existing MX records for your domain to avoid conflicts. Then add the following MX records:

First MX Record:

Type: MX
Refers to: @
Mail Server: mx1.improvmx.com
Priority: 10
TTL: 4 Hour

Click Add Record.

Second MX Record:

Type: MX
Refers to: @
Mail Server: mx2.improvmx.com
Priority: 20
TTL: 4 Hour

Click Add Record.

3. Add SPF Record

In your ImprovMX dashboard, locate the SPF Records section and copy the Recommended Value.

Return to Hostgator and add a new TXT record with the following values:

Type: TXT
Refers to: @
TXT Value: v=spf1 include:spf.improvmx.com ~all (or your recommended value)
TTL: 4 Hour

Click Add Record.

4. Verification

DNS changes can take up to 24-48 hours to propagate, but usually happen sooner.

We'll notify you once the records are detected. You can also click Check Again in the ImprovMX dashboard to see if the changes are already active.

Once propagated, your domain will display "Email forwarding active" in the dashboard.