# Setting up email on own domain **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 12, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-email-on-own-domain/631305 "2012-08-12T21:32:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![With\_Rye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@With\_Rye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/With_Rye)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-email-on-own-domain/631305/1 "2012-08-12T21:32:39Z")
I have a domain through GoDaddy but they don’t host my site, just my domain. I would like to set up a [me@mydomain.com](mailto:me@mydomain.com) email address. Do I set that up through GoDaddy or through my host? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-email-on-own-domain/631305/2 "2012-08-12T21:49:22Z")
You will need to add an MX (mail exchanger) record to your DNS settings in GoDaddy. That record must point to a machine capable of receiving SMTP traffic, which your host can set up for you. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-email-on-own-domain/631305/3 "2012-08-12T22:32:17Z")
I have a couple of domains with GoDaddy, and they came with email. I’m pretty sure the DNS records were already set up for it and all I had to do was create the addresses (including designating one as a catch-all), and point my email client to GoDaddy’s mail servers. It has nothing to do with your web hosting - mine is also hosted elsewhere… ---
**Author:** ![Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8baadc/32.png) [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicest_of_the_Damned)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-email-on-own-domain/631305/4 "2012-08-12T22:38:23Z")
Your web hosting control panel might also have an option to set up email. I’ve done this with CPanel and it’s pretty straightforward. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-email-on-own-domain/631305/5 "2012-08-12T23:06:43Z")
Google and Yahoo offer this. It’s simple, easy and free. And opaque to the sender. [you@yourdomainname.com](mailto:you@yourdomainname.com) I use Google and its great. ---
**Author:** ![With\_Rye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@With\_Rye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/With_Rye)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-email-on-own-domain/631305/6 "2012-08-13T03:18:53Z")
> [@raindog](#): > > Google and Yahoo offer this. > > It’s simple, easy and free. And opaque to the sender. > > [you@yourdomainname.com](mailto:you@yourdomainname.com) > > I use Google and its great. I was planning to use Gmail as my client as well. Can you elaborate how you set this up? My confusion is that both my host and GoDaddy have email options and I’m not sure which one I should use. From the responses here, it seems my host isn’t a factor in this procedure? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-email-on-own-domain/631305/7 "2012-08-13T03:42:42Z")
If you plan to use GMail as the host for your email, then your web host is not relevant. Follow the instructions [here](http://support.google.com/a/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33352). ---
**Author:** ![sco3tt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@sco3tt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sco3tt)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-email-on-own-domain/631305/8 "2012-08-13T03:45:56Z")
> [@With\_Rye](#): > > I was planning to use Gmail as my client as well. Can you elaborate how you set this up? Information on setting up Google Apps for your domain (email, gdrive, docs, etc.) can be found [here](http://www.google.com/intl/en/enterprise/apps/business/). If you have 10 or fewer users in your domain, it’s [completely free](http://www.google.com/intl/en/enterprise/apps/business/pricing.html). Here are instructions for [setting up Gmail](http://www.coffeecup.com/help/articles/set-up-gmail-for-your-own-domain/) for your domain. I’ve got a couple set up that way and can’t imagine anything better. ---
**Author:** ![With\_Rye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@With\_Rye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/With_Rye)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-email-on-own-domain/631305/9 "2012-08-13T07:35:35Z")
Awesome, it worked out great. Thanks for all your help. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-email-on-own-domain/631305/10 "2012-08-13T08:03:12Z")
I’m bookmarking this to read later 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-email-on-own-domain/631305/11 "2012-08-13T09:54:28Z")
On your domain you need to set up Catch-all forwarding so that everything gets forwarded to your GMail account. Then you set your GMail account to send as your domain. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-email-on-own-domain/631305/12 "2012-08-13T11:15:26Z")
Looks like you have it licked. When we set it up we were given 200 free addresses. We use around 20. All free. Super easy. It’s great. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-email-on-own-domain/631305/13 "2012-08-13T16:57:54Z")
> [@raindog](#): > > Looks like you have it licked. When we set it up we were given 200 free addresses. We use around 20. All free. Super easy. It’s great. You got a domain name and 200 email addresses for free? Where? ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-email-on-own-domain/631305/14 "2012-08-13T17:21:15Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > You got a domain name and 200 email addresses for free? > Where? The domain wasn’t free, nor is the hosting. I can’t remember how much that cost, but it’s very, very cheap. I was referring to the email. We use “Gmail for work”, Google’s email arrangement. Now they have all kinds of applications that are associated with email and office/business applications that you can pay for, but for your basic email it’s free, and you can use up to 200 email addresses tied to your domain. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-email-on-own-domain/631305/15 "2012-08-13T17:33:46Z")
Got it - thanks.