Google Workspace Email Delivery: The Crucial DNS Check Beyond Your Registrar

Setting up a new domain or an alias in Google Workspace should be a straightforward process, but sometimes, what seems like a simple step can hide a crucial detail. A recent thread on the Google Workspace support forum highlighted a common pitfall that many administrators encounter when troubleshooting email delivery issues: the often-overlooked difference between where your domain is registered and where its DNS records are actually managed.

The Case: Can't Receive Emails to New Alias/Domain

A Google Workspace administrator recently set up a secondary domain, verified it, and activated Gmail. They diligently updated their MX records with their domain registrar, names.co.uk, pointing them to Google's mail servers. After waiting over 48 hours for DNS propagation, emails still weren't being received, although sending emails from the new domain worked perfectly. This situation strongly suggested an issue with the MX records.

The Overlooked Detail: Nameservers and DNS Management

The key to resolving this issue came from a helpful community member, bkennelly. Upon inspecting the domain, it was discovered that while the domain was registered with names.co.uk, its nameservers were pointing to Hostinger (ns1.dns-parking.com and ns2.dns-parking.com). This meant that Hostinger, not names.co.uk, was the active DNS provider for the domain.

The administrator had correctly updated the MX records at their registrar, but these changes had no effect because the domain's DNS was being managed elsewhere. The crucial step was to update the MX records within Hostinger's DNS settings. Once this change was made, email delivery began working instantly.

// Example of Google Workspace MX records (actual values vary by setup)
ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM.      10
ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM. 20
ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM. 20
ALT3.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM. 30
ALT4.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM. 30

Why This Happens: Registrar vs. DNS Host

This scenario is a classic example of confusing your domain registrar with your DNS hosting provider. Your domain registrar is where you purchase and register your domain name. Your DNS hosting provider is the service that manages your domain's DNS records (like A records, CNAMEs, and MX records) and tells the internet where to find your website and email.

Often, your registrar also acts as your DNS host by default. However, if you use a separate web hosting service (like Hostinger in this case), you might have updated your domain's nameservers to point to your web host. When you do this, your web host takes over the management of your DNS records. Any changes to MX records, therefore, must be made at the web host's DNS management interface, not the registrar's.

Key Takeaways for Google Workspace Administrators

• Verify Your Nameservers: Before making any DNS changes, always confirm where your domain's nameservers are pointing. You can often find this information through a WHOIS lookup or within your domain registrar's control panel. This is the first step before you even consider your dashboard gsuite login for domain verification.
• Update DNS Records at the Correct Provider: Ensure you are updating your MX records (and any other DNS records) at the service provider that currently manages your domain's DNS, which might be your web host, not necessarily your domain registrar.
• Understand DNS Propagation: While the solution in this thread was "instant," remember that DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate across the internet. Patience is key, but if issues persist beyond this duration, re-checking your settings is crucial.
• Check Google Workspace Domain Verification: Even if your domain is verified in your dashboard gsuite login, it only confirms Google recognizes the domain. It doesn't guarantee your MX records are correctly configured for email flow.

By understanding the distinction between your domain registrar and your DNS hosting provider, Google Workspace administrators can prevent common email delivery headaches and ensure seamless communication across their domains. A quick check of your nameservers can save hours of troubleshooting!