plainmailSet up email on a Namecheap domain
Checked November 8, 2026
Plainmail can't write DNS at Namecheap 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 Namecheap
- Sign in to Namecheap, open Domain List, and choose Manage next to your domain.
- Open the Advanced DNS tab. Under Mail Settings, choose Custom MX.
- Add the MX record, then use Add New Record for the TXT and CNAME records in the table below. Use
@for the root domain and only the part before your domain for the rest. - Save each record (the green check), 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) |
Namecheap quirks
- Mail Settings must be Custom MX. With Email Forwarding or Private Email selected, Namecheap ignores the MX records you add.
- Namecheap appends your domain to the host field, so type
_dmarc, not the full name. - If your nameservers aren't Namecheap BasicDNS (for example Cloudflare), 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
Do I need Namecheap Private Email?
No. Plainmail replaces it. Set Mail Settings to Custom MX and point it at 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