Setup guides
Connect your domain to Episto.
Your domain stays where it is. You add a few DNS records, Episto checks them and your mail starts arriving. Pick your DNS provider, or use the records below anywhere.
Guides by provider
- CloudflareDNS records for domains on Cloudflare DNS.
- IONOSDNS records for domains registered at IONOS.
- VercelDNS records for domains using Vercel DNS.
Any other DNS provider
If your provider lets you edit DNS records, you can use Episto. DNS is usually managed where your domain’s nameservers point, which is not always where you bought the domain. When you add the domain, Episto detects the provider and links to its DNS settings.
Episto shows the exact records for your domain in the panel under Domains → your domain → DNS records, with the values filled in. The table below shows their shape, so you know what to expect. Use a TTL of 3600 (1 hour) where your provider asks for one.
| Type | Name (host) | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TXT | _episto | episto-verification=… | Proves you own the domain. The token is shown in the panel. |
| MX | @ | mail.epistomail.com | Priority 10. Remove other MX records for the domain. |
| TXT | @ | v=spf1 include:spf.smtp2go.com ~all | SPF. If you already have an SPF record, add include:spf.smtp2go.com to it instead of creating a second one. |
| TXT | episto._domainkey | v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=… | DKIM signing key, generated for your domain. |
| TXT | _dmarc | v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:… | DMARC policy. Keep an existing DMARC record if you have one. |
| CNAME | em… | return.smtp2go.net | Return path for outgoing mail. Exact host in the panel. |
| CNAME | s…._domainkey | dkim.smtp2go.net | Signing key of the outgoing relay. Exact host in the panel. |
Some providers want the root of the domain written as @, others want the name field left empty. Most add your domain to the end of each name on their own, so enter _dmarc, not _dmarc.yourdomain.com.
Recommended: mail app discovery
These records are optional. They help mail apps such as Apple Mail, Thunderbird and Outlook find the right servers on their own. Domain activation never waits for them.
| Type | Name (host) | Value |
|---|---|---|
| SRV | _imaps._tcp | 0 1 993 mail.epistomail.com |
| SRV | _submissions._tcp | 0 1 465 mail.epistomail.com |
| SRV | _submission._tcp | 0 1 587 mail.epistomail.com |
| SRV | _jmap._tcp | 0 1 443 mail.epistomail.com |
| SRV | _autodiscover._tcp | 0 1 443 autodiscover.epistomail.com |
Check and activate
Go back to the Episto panel and run the DNS check. Episto compares your records with public DNS and marks each one as found. Most providers publish changes within minutes. Some resolvers cache old values for up to the TTL of the record they replaced, so allow an hour or two before you worry.
When the MX record is live, new mail for your domain arrives at Episto. Create your mailboxes and aliases first, so no message arrives for an address that doesn’t exist yet.
MAKE IT YOUR ADDRESS
Your domain.
Your business email.
You already have the domain. Give it an inbox.