Email with your own domain: create, set up, providers

An enquiry to painter-smith@gmail.com feels different from one to info@painter-smith.com. An email address with your own domain is a small step with a big effect for any business. Here you will learn how to create it, which providers exist and how to set it up properly so your emails do not end up in spam.

Why email with your own domain?

• It looks professional and matches your website, invoices and vehicle.
• It belongs to your domain, not to a free email provider. If you switch providers, the address stays.
• You can create addresses for tasks, such as info@, invoices@ or bookings@, and later give employees their own addresses.

What options there are

• Mailboxes from your domain or hosting provider: often already included in the package.
• Specialised email providers: often with a focus on privacy, encryption and servers in the EU or Switzerland.
• Office suites from large providers: email together with calendar, documents and video calls.

When choosing, look at the server location, a data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR, enough storage and whether you can create addresses yourself.

Email with your own domain for free?

Completely free offers with your own domain are rare and usually limited. A mailbox is often included in the domain or hosting package you already pay for, though. So check there first before booking an additional service.

Setting up email with your own domain: step by step

• Register a domain or use an existing one.
• Add the domain at your email provider and create the mailbox.
• In your domain's DNS settings, enter the provider's MX records. They determine where emails to your domain are delivered.
• Add SPF, DKIM and DMARC, see below.
• Set up the mailbox in your mail program or on your phone and send a test email to an external address.

SPF, DKIM and DMARC explained briefly

• SPF defines which servers may send emails on behalf of your domain.
• DKIM digitally signs every email so the recipient can check that it was not changed on the way.
• DMARC tells the recipient what to do with emails that fail SPF or DKIM.

Since 2024, Google has required all senders to Gmail addresses to use at least SPF or DKIM, and bulk senders additionally DMARC (source: support.google.com/a/answer/81126). Even for small businesses it pays to set up all three properly.

Common mistakes

• Several SPF records for the same domain. Only one is allowed, several senders go into the same record.
• Two DMARC records. Then many recipients do not evaluate DMARC at all.
• Forgetting the MX records when changing host: the website works, but emails stop arriving.
• The website's contact form sends emails via a server that is not listed in the SPF record. Such emails quickly end up in spam.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my new address in Gmail or Outlook?

Usually yes. Many mail programs can fetch another mailbox via IMAP and send via your provider's server.

What happens when I change email provider?

You create the mailboxes at the new provider, transfer old emails and then change the MX records. The address itself stays the same.