How to configure your domain for ProtonMail hosted email

If you've selected ProtonMail as your email provider, this guide is for you. We'll show you how to configure your domain on ProtonMail and then update your domain's MX records to route mail to ProtonMail's servers. 

Setting up your domain at ProtonMail

1
Sign in to your ProtonMail paid account and go to Domain Names in the menu: 
2
On the Domain names page, select the purple "Add domain" button. On the page that pops up, type in the domain you want to add and select the purple "Next" button (you may be prompted to type in your ProtonMail password again): 
3
On the Verify tab, copy to clipboard the TXT record value that you will need to create in Porkbun's DNS editor.

Adding the TXT Verification Record & MX Records

1
Log in. You should arrive at the Domain Management screen. If you're already logged in, click on ACCOUNT in the top-right corner and select Domain Management.
2
Locate your domain and click the "Details" button list to the right. In the domain Details area that appears, click the "Edit" option next to "DNS Records".
3
Scroll down to see your existing DNS records. If there are any existing MX records, or SPF records (TXT records whose answer begin with "v=spf1"). Record types are displayed in the leftmost column. Delete MX and SPF records using the trashcan icon.
4
To add the verification TXT record you copied to the clipboard in the previous section, scroll up to the "configure custom DNS records" area near the top. Here's how to add a TXT record:
  • Change the Type field to "TXT - Text record"
  • Leave the Host field blank.
  • Under Answer, specify the entry from the TXT record value you just copied from ProtonMail

A sample entry would look like this: Click the green "Add" button to add the TXT record.

5
Go back to the Verify tab and select the purple "Next" button to finish the TXT record verification process.

⚠️️ Note

It may take anywhere from a couple of minutes to 24 hours for the TXT record to be fully verified. 

6
On the next page in ProtonMail, you will be given two MX records that you will need to input in your Porkbun DNS. Copy that information from the ProntonMail MX record page. 
7
To add the MX records specified, scroll up to the "configure custom DNS records" area near the top. Here's how to add an MX record:
  • Change the Type field to "MX - Mail exchange record"
  • Leave the Host field blank.
  • Under Answer, specify the entry from the MX record value you just copied from ProtonMail

A sample entry will look like this: 

Click the green "Add" button to add the MX record. Repeat this for the second MX record indicated.

8
Go back to the MX tab and select the purple "Next" button to finish the MX record process.

Adding the SPF record

To keep your outgoing mail from being marked as spam, you will need to add the SPF record. This can be found on the SPF record page. 

1
On the SPF tab, locate and copy the SPF value.
2
To add the SPF record specified, go back to the Manage DNS records window and add the following:
  • Change the Type field to "TXT - Text record"
  • Leave the Host field blank.
  • Under Answer, specify the entry from the SPF record value you just copied from ProtonMail

A sample entry will look like this:  Click the green "Add" button to add the SPF (TXT) record.

3
Back on the SPF ProtonMail page, select the purple "Next" button for the next steps in setting up for DKIM authentication.

DKIM & DMARC Authentication

ProtonMail supports DKIM signing for custom domains. To use DKIM authentication, you will need to add the three CNAME records from the DKIM tab into your DNS settings for this domain.

1
On the DKIM tab, locate and copy one of the CNAME values.
2
To add the CNAME records specified, go back to the Manage DNS Records page. Here's how to add the CNAME record:
  • Change the Type field to "CNAME - Canonical name record"
  • Enter in the appropriate Host related to the CNAME record
  • Under Answer, specify the entry from the CNAME record value you just copied from ProtonMail

A sample entry would look like this: Click the green "Add" button to add the CNAME record. Repeat this for the second and third CNAME records needed.

3
Back on the DKIM ProtonMail page, select the purple "Next" button for the next steps in setting up for DMARC authentication.
4
If you have set both SPF and DKIM, DMARC allows you to specify how other email services should deliver email for your domain if both SPF and DKIM checks have failed. 
On the DMARC page, copy the value for the DMARC record.
5
Back in your Porkbun account, on the Manage DNS records page, enter in the following for the DMARC record:
  • Change the Type field to "TXT - Text record"
  • Enter in "_dmarc" for the Host
  • Under Answer, specify the entry from the DMARC record value you just copied from ProtonMail

A sample entry would look like this:  Click the green "Add" button to add the DMARC record.

That's it! From here you can add your new address in the ProtonMail window by choosing your username, the display name, and your email signature with the Porkbun domain you just configured.

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