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All tutorialsRegistrar setup · Cloudflare

Set up email on a Cloudflare domain

Two things trip people up on Cloudflare: the orange-cloud proxy toggle (must be off for email records) and Cloudflare Email Routing (conflicts with any third-party mail server, must be disabled first). This guide covers both, links to Cloudflare's own docs for the registrar-side clicks, and gives you the exact values to paste.

Last verified: May 27, 2026

Before you start

  • You own the domain on Cloudflare and can sign in at cloudflare.com.
  • The domain is using Cloudflare nameservers (i.e., status shows “Active” in the dashboard, not “Pending Nameserver Update”).
  • You've already added the domain inside MailSprout (do that first if you haven't).
  • About 8 minutes of uninterrupted time.
1

Open the DNS panel

Sign in at dash.cloudflare.com (opens in a new tab). Click your account, then click the domain you're setting up.

In the left sidebar, navigate to DNS → Records.

Create DNS records · Cloudflare Docs (opens in a new tab)
Opens Cloudflare's official help article. They keep this up to date with their current UI, so if the steps on their site look different from what we describe, follow their version.
2

Disable Cloudflare Email Routing (if active)

Cloudflare offers a free Email Routing feature for forwarding inbound email to other providers. It conflicts with running a third-party mail server like MailSprout. Cloudflare insists on owning MX when Email Routing is active.

In the left sidebar, click Email → Email Routing. If the status shows anything other than disabled, click the gear icon (Settings tab) and disable Email Routing.

Email Routing · Cloudflare Docs (opens in a new tab)
Opens Cloudflare's official help article. They keep this up to date with their current UI, so if the steps on their site look different from what we describe, follow their version.
If you were forwarding email through Cloudflare, this stops that forwarding. Make sure you've set up MailSprout accounts to replace any addresses that were being forwarded.
3

Delete existing email records

Back on the DNS Records page, scroll through the records and delete any of:

  • Any MX records (often pointing at route1.mx.cloudflare.net or your old provider)
  • Any TXT starting with v=spf1
  • Any CNAME named autoconfig or autodiscover
  • Any TXT named _dmarc
4

Add the MailSprout DNS records

Click Add record for each row below. Critical: for every record, the Proxy status column must be “DNS only”(gray cloud), not “Proxied” (orange cloud). Cloudflare proxying breaks email; DNS lookups need to resolve directly.

MXTTL 3600
Host / Name
@
Value
fusion.mxrouting.net (priority 10)
Cloudflare puts Priority in a separate field. Set to 10.
MXTTL 3600
Host / Name
@
Value
fusion-relay.mxrouting.net (priority 20)
A second MX as the backup. Priority 20 means Cloudflare only uses this if the priority 10 host is unreachable.
TXTTTL 3600
Host / Name
@
Value
v=spf1 include:mxroute.com -all
SPF.
TXTTTL 3600
Host / Name
(copy from dashboard)
Value
(copy from dashboard)
Both the host and the value for this record are unique to your domain. Open your MailSprout dashboard and copy them exactly as shown.
TXTTTL 3600
Host / Name
_dmarc
Value
v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:postmaster@yourdomain.com
Replace yourdomain.com in the rua= line with your actual domain.

Leave TTL at the default (typically 3600 / 1 hour) on every row.

Create DNS records · Cloudflare Docs (opens in a new tab)
Opens Cloudflare's official help article. They keep this up to date with their current UI, so if the steps on their site look different from what we describe, follow their version.
Gray cloud only.If you see an orange cloud on any of your MailSprout records, click it to toggle to gray. Cloudflare's proxy rewrites HTTPS traffic; for email (which doesn't go through Cloudflare) the proxy just hides the real target and breaks delivery.
5

Verify in MailSprout

Cloudflare propagates DNS changes essentially instantly. Wait 30 seconds, then go to your MailSprout dashboard, click into the domain, and press Verify DNS. Status should flip to Ready immediately.

6

Add your first email account

Click Add account on the verified domain page. Type a name (e.g. hello), submit, and use the QR code on your iPhone for instant Apple Mail setup.

Troubleshooting

Verification fails right after I added the records.
On Cloudflare, the most common cause is the Proxy status being orange (Proxied) on at least one record. Open each MailSprout record and confirm the cloud icon in the Proxy status column is gray (DNS only). Toggle any orange clouds to gray, save, and re-verify.
Cloudflare keeps re-adding an MX record I deleted.
That happens when Email Routing is still enabled. Cloudflare keeps its own routing MX records in sync. Disable Email Routing per Step 2, then delete the record one more time. It will stay deleted.
My domain status says "Pending Nameserver Update".
Your domain isn't fully migrated to Cloudflare DNS yet. The records you add here won't take effect until your domain registrar (wherever you bought the domain) is set to use Cloudflare's nameservers. Follow Cloudflare's nameserver-change instructions for your domain first.
I use Cloudflare for DNS but my domain is registered elsewhere.
That's fine; these instructions still apply. You only manage DNS in Cloudflare; your nameservers point at Cloudflare from your registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.). MX and other email records go in the Cloudflare DNS panel.
Free Cloudflare plan vs. paid: does it matter?
No. The free plan supports every DNS record type MailSprout needs.

On a different registrar?

GoDaddy→

The #1 registrar by market share. Most small businesses start here.

Namecheap→

Popular among indie founders and developers.

Porkbun→

Indie-hacker darling. Fast, cheap, fair pricing.

Squarespace Domains→

Includes former Google Domains customers who got migrated here.

Hover→

Long-time favorite of founders and writers.

IONOS (1&1)→

Huge in Europe. Their UI is a labyrinth, but we map it out.

Stuck on a step?

Email support@mailsprout.io with the step number and a screenshot. We reply same day.