Plan DNS changes without breaking business email
A website move does not automatically require an email move. The safe approach is to identify everything using the domain, preserve its working settings and agree precisely which records need changing. Treat DNS as a shared connection list, not a set of spare entries to tidy away.
Before you start
- Identify your DNS administrator and your email provider.
- List mailboxes, website forms, newsletters, booking tools and subdomains using the domain.
- Ask the administrator to save the current DNS records securely before any change.
What to do
Describe the intended change
Tell the person doing the work whether you are changing the website destination, DNS supplier or email provider. These are different jobs. Ask for a written note of what stays unchanged as well as what moves.
Check more than the inbox records
MX records direct incoming mail, but your provider may also require TXT, CNAME or other records. Forms and mailing tools can have their own sending settings. Give the administrator each provider’s current requirements, not a record copied from an unrelated website.
Protect linked services
Ask whether an email server depends on the old hosting account or on another record being changed. If the DNS supplier is moving, compare the complete old and new record lists. An automatic import should still be checked by someone who understands the dependencies.
Agree checks and recovery
Choose a time when the inbox owner can confirm an authorised incoming and outgoing test. Agree who will investigate a fault and what information they need to restore the previous working setup. Keep the old service available until the change is verified.
What to check
- Incoming and outgoing business email work after the change.
- Website-form delivery is checked separately from ordinary email.
- The administrator has recorded what changed and when.
Sources and further reading
Platform features can change. Check the provider’s current guidance before changing a live service.