Shopify domain email DNS checker
Check the public DNS records that matter when email on a Shopify-managed domain is not receiving or authenticating correctly.
Shopify can manage a domain's DNS, but Shopify is not a mailbox host. Shopify email forwarding only redirects incoming mail to an existing address, and replies still come from that destination address.
Use this page to work out which DNS host is active for the domain and which mailbox or sending service the email records should describe.
DNS records to check first
| Record | What to check | Safe note |
|---|---|---|
| Active DNS host | Work out whether DNS is managed inside Shopify for a Shopify-managed domain, or at the registrar, Cloudflare, or another DNS host for a connected third-party domain. | Email records only take effect at the DNS host the nameservers point to; editing the wrong dashboard changes nothing publicly. |
| MX | A real mailbox needs MX records that point at a mailbox provider such as Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or Zoho Mail, published wherever the domain's DNS is managed. | Shopify email forwarding and a separate mailbox provider both want to receive the domain's mail - run one receiving setup, not a mix of both MX sets. |
| Email forwarding | Shopify email forwarding redirects mail for a Shopify-managed domain to an existing inbox such as Gmail. Confirm the forwarding address is configured in the Shopify admin. | Forwarding is not a mailbox. Sending as the domain needs a mailbox provider or a sending service with its own SPF and DKIM setup. |
| SPF | Publish SPF for the service that actually sends as the domain, such as the mailbox provider or a marketing platform. For store notification emails, follow the sender authentication records shown in the Shopify admin. | An SPF include belongs to a service that really sends as this domain; do not add includes for services that never send its mail. |
| DKIM | If a mailbox provider or marketing platform sends as the domain, generate DKIM in that provider's admin console and publish the exact records at the active DNS host. | Do not invent DKIM selectors or values - each sending service generates its own. |
| DMARC | Add a DMARC record once the real senders pass SPF or DKIM, so receivers know how to treat spoofed mail for the store's domain. | Forwarded mail can fail SPF alignment, so start DMARC at p=none and review reports before tightening. |
Common mistakes
- Expecting Shopify email forwarding to provide a sending mailbox - it forwards incoming mail only.
- Editing DNS at the original registrar after moving DNS management to Shopify, or the reverse.
- Pointing MX at a mailbox provider while Shopify email forwarding records are still in place.
- Adding SPF includes for Shopify when the actual sender is the mailbox provider or a marketing platform.
Boundaries
Domain Email Doctor checks public DNS records only and does not access a Shopify store.
Domain transfers, forwarding rules, and Shopify domain settings stay inside the Shopify admin.
Shopify is not a mailbox host - a real inbox needs a mailbox provider, and a passing DNS check does not guarantee inbox placement.