Maintaining Email Service During Transfer
Maintaining Email Service During Transfer
Email is critical for most domains, and any interruption can mean missed messages. Here is how to keep your email working smoothly throughout the domain transfer process.
Why Email Can Be Affected
Email delivery depends on MX (Mail Exchange) records in your domain’s DNS zone. If a domain transfer causes your DNS to change or become inaccessible, email delivery will fail. The domain transfer itself does not modify MX records, but changing nameservers can.
Scenarios That Risk Email Disruption
Using the Current Registrar’s Email Service
If your email hosting is provided by the registrar you are transferring away from, that service may be discontinued after the transfer. You will need to:
- Set up email hosting at 10Corp or a third-party provider before the transfer.
- Migrate your mailbox data (emails, contacts, calendars).
- Update MX records to point to the new email provider.
Using the Current Registrar’s DNS for Third-Party Email
If your MX records are hosted in the losing registrar’s DNS zone but point to a third-party email service (like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365), you need to recreate those MX records at your new DNS host before the nameserver change.
Using Third-Party DNS and Email
If both your DNS and email are hosted by third parties independent of either registrar, no email changes are needed. The transfer will not affect your email service.
Step-by-Step Email Protection Plan
Before the Transfer:
- Document all current MX records, including priority values.
- Note any email-related TXT records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
- Set up identical DNS records at your new DNS provider.
- If migrating email providers, begin the migration before the transfer.
During the Transfer:
- Do not change nameservers until the transfer is complete.
- Monitor email delivery by sending test emails.
After the Transfer:
- Update nameservers to the new DNS provider (if needed).
- Verify MX records are resolving correctly using
digor online MX lookup tools. - Send and receive test emails to confirm everything works.
Common MX Record Formats
| Email Provider | MX Record Example |
|---|---|
| Google Workspace | ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM (priority 1) |
| Microsoft 365 | yourdomain-com.mail.protection.outlook.com (priority 0) |
| Self-hosted | mail.yourdomain.com (priority 10) |
Tips
- Never delete MX records at the old DNS host until the new records are confirmed working.
- Lower TTL on MX records before the transfer to speed up propagation.
- Inform your team about the transfer timeline so they can watch for email issues.
- Check spam folders — during DNS changes, some emails may be misrouted temporarily.
Proper planning ensures zero email downtime during your domain transfer.