DNS Propagation: What It Is and Why It Matters

When you change DNS records, the rest of the internet does not learn about it all at once. That delay is what people mean by "propagation".

Why it takes time

• DNS caching: resolvers remember the answer they got last time
• TTL (time to live): each record says how long it may be cached
• Global distribution: the change has to reach resolvers all over the world
• Update frequency: each resolver refreshes on its own schedule

Typical timings

• Many changes are visible within minutes
• Most are visible within an hour
• With a high TTL, or a resolver that holds on to the old answer, it can take up to 48 hours

Nobody can speed this up from our side: the old answer stays cached until its TTL expires. Lowering the TTL on a record before you change it helps, if your DNS provider lets you set it.

How to check where your records stand

• Email Domains shows each domain's DNS status, and the refresh icon (circular arrows) on the domain's row re-checks the live records when you ask
• Tools → DNS Checker reads the domain's live DNS and compares every record with the value it should have, including the DKIM key and the Amazon SES records for a domain in your account. It prints the exact change to make for anything missing or wrong.
• Command line tools such as dig or nslookup show what your own resolver currently answers

If the checker still reports the old value, wait and run it again. Changing the record a second time restarts the wait instead of shortening it.

What you will see during a switch

• Mail may reach the new server from some networks and the old one from others for a while. That is normal.
• Anything already delivered to the old provider stays there, so keep that mailbox reachable until the change has settled.
• Once every check is correct and the old MX records are gone, new mail arrives here only.

If it is taking longer than expected

Common causes:

• The record was published with a high TTL, or the previous provider set one
• The domain was recently transferred, or nameserver changes are still pending
• The record was published at the wrong host name, or with quote characters stored as part of the value
• There are two records where there may only be one, for example two SPF or two DMARC records

Run the DNS Checker first: most "slow propagation" turns out to be a record that was never right. It tells you which one and what to change.

When to contact support

Contact support through the live chat in the control panel if:

• A record has been correct for more than 48 hours and mail still does not arrive
• The checker reports the same problem after you have fixed it and waited
• You are unsure which of two conflicting records to remove

Support is available during business hours. Tell us the domain and what the checker reports.

Good practice

• Plan DNS changes for a quiet time of day
• Create the mailboxes and move the existing mail before you point the MX record here
• Change one thing at a time, then check
• Remove the previous provider's mail records once the new setup checks out