plainmailSet up email on a GoDaddy domain
Checked November 8, 2026
Plainmail can't write DNS at GoDaddy yet, so you paste the records yourself: about 10 records, 5 to 10 minutes. Plainmail shows the exact values for your domain and checks each one, so you see what's missing before mail breaks.
Add the records at GoDaddy
- Sign in to GoDaddy and open My Products. Next to your domain, choose DNS.
- Delete existing MX records that point to another mail service (for example GoDaddy's own email or forwarding) once you're ready to switch.
- Choose Add New Record for each record in the table below. Use
@for the root domain, and only the part before your domain for the others (for example_dmarc, not_dmarc.yourdomain.com). - Save, then open the domain in Plainmail and choose Check again.
The records
Your domain's page in Plainmail lists every record with copy buttons. They look like this:
| Type | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| MX | @ | mx1.plainmailhost.com, priority 10 |
| TXT | @ | v=spf1 include:spf.plainmailhost.com ~all (merge into your SPF record if you already have one) |
| CNAME ×3 | <token>._domainkey | <token>.dkim.amazonses.com (DKIM for sending; your three tokens are on the domain's page) |
| MX | bounce | feedback-smtp.us-east-2.amazonses.com, priority 10 |
| TXT | bounce | v=spf1 include:amazonses.com ~all |
| TXT | _dmarc | v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc@plainmailhost.com |
| CNAME | autoconfig and autodiscover | autoconfig.plainmailhost.com and autodiscover.plainmailhost.com (mail apps find the settings on their own) |
| TXT | _plainmail-verify | plainmail-verify=<token> (proves the domain is yours; token on the domain's page) |
GoDaddy quirks
- GoDaddy adds your domain to the end of a record's name, so typing the full name creates
_dmarc.yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com. - If GoDaddy already has an SPF TXT record at
@, edit it to addinclude:spf.plainmailhost.comrather than adding a second one. - If your nameservers point elsewhere (Cloudflare, Vercel), GoDaddy's DNS page isn't used: add the records at that host instead.
After the records are in
- Plainmail checks the records on the domain's page. DNS records in place and Sending verified mean you're done. Use Check again if you just saved them.
- Under Add a mailbox, create hello@ or any address. You get a link that shows its password once.
- Add the mailbox to Apple Mail, the Gmail app, Outlook or Thunderbird. Most apps find the server settings from your address alone. You can also read it in Plainmail's web inbox.
Or let Claude do it
With the Plainmail MCP server connected, ask: Set up hello@yourdomain.com on Plainmail. Claude adds the domain, gives you the approval link for your DNS host (or the records to paste), checks them, and creates the mailbox.
Want it automatic?
On Cloudflare, Vercel and Porkbun, Plainmail writes these records for you. If you move DNS for a domain to Cloudflare (free), setup is one click. See the Cloudflare guide.
Questions
Can I use GoDaddy email forwarding with Plainmail?
Not on the same domain. Forwarding uses its own MX records. Remove them when you move the domain's mail to Plainmail.
How long does DNS take?
Usually a few minutes. Some resolvers cache old records for up to a few hours, so a new MX can take that long to reach every sender.
I already have an SPF record. Do I add a second one?
No. A domain can have only one SPF record. Add include:spf.plainmailhost.com to the one you have, before the final ~all or -all.
Will this break my website?
No. None of these records touch the A, AAAA or www records that serve your site. Only mail records change.
Can I keep my old email host running at the same time?
Not for the same domain. Mail for a domain goes to whichever host its MX record names. Move the MX when you're ready to switch.
Get started$5 a month for up to 50 domains and 100 mailboxes