Email is one of those technologies that feels simple on the surface and strangely fragile underneath. You create an address like info@yourdomain.com, send a message, and expect it to arrive. When it doesn’t, confusion sets in quickly. The system looks correct. The domain exists. The mailbox exists. DNS shows green ticks. And yet — a yellow warning appears:
“Action required: To receive emails, you need to set your domain’s MX records correctly.”
This article walks through the complete lifecycle of such a problem, explains what actually happens behind the scenes, and clarifies why email sometimes refuses to cooperate even when everything appears correct.
The Core of the Problem: What Are MX Records?
MX stands for Mail Exchange. It’s a type of DNS (Domain Name System) record. DNS is essentially the internet’s address book. It tells browsers where your website lives and tells email systems where to deliver messages.
An MX record answers one very specific question:
“When someone sends an email to @yourdomain.com, which mail server should receive it?”
Without MX records, your domain has no mailbox location. It’s like owning a building but never registering a mailing address.
If someone sends mail to a domain with no MX record, the sending server has nowhere to deliver it. The message either bounces or disappears.
In this case, the domain was hosted on GoDaddy, and the email service was powered by Titan (GoDaddy’s email provider). The system displayed an error saying MX records were not set correctly.
Step 1: Diagnosing the DNS Configuration
The first step in solving email issues is checking DNS settings.
The DNS configuration showed:
- A record (website working correctly)
- NS records (default GoDaddy nameservers)
- CNAME records
- DMARC TXT record
- Initially, no MX records
This immediately explains the warning. Without MX records, incoming email cannot function.
The correct Titan MX records are typically:
- mx1.titan.email (Priority 10)
- mx2.titan.email (Priority 20)
These were added properly.
After adding them, DNS looked correct. External tools like DNSChecker showed green ticks globally. That means the internet recognized the MX records and propagation was complete.
So far, everything was correct.
And yet — the error remained.
Step 2: Understanding DNS Propagation
Whenever DNS changes are made, they do not update instantly worldwide. The delay is called propagation.
Each DNS record has a value called TTL (Time To Live). In this case, TTL was set to 1 hour. That means caching servers are allowed to hold old data for up to 60 minutes.
However, after 24 hours, propagation can no longer be blamed. If external tools show the correct MX records globally, DNS is no longer the issue.
At this point, the problem shifts from DNS configuration to system verification.
Step 3: The Hidden Layer — Provider Verification
Here’s what many people don’t realize:
There are two independent systems involved:
- Public DNS (what the internet sees)
- Internal provider validation (what Titan verifies internally)
DNS may correctly point to Titan. But Titan must also verify that:
- The domain belongs to the account
- The email product is activated
- The mailbox is provisioned properly
- No legacy configuration conflicts exist
If Titan’s backend verification does not refresh properly, the system may continue showing:
“Action required: Set your MX records correctly.”
Even though they are correct.
This becomes a backend sync issue, not a DNS issue.
Step 4: Testing Email Delivery Properly
The most important diagnostic step is sending a test email.
When testing, there are four possible outcomes:
- Immediate bounce with “No such user”
- Immediate bounce with “Mail delivery failure”
- Email appears delivered but not visible
- Email remains pending
Each scenario indicates a different failure layer.
If the MX records are correct and global, but mail still fails, the issue is usually one of the following:
- Mailbox not fully created
- Domain not linked internally to email plan
- Email plan not activated
- Account provisioning incomplete
- Backend cache not refreshed
In such cases, deleting and recreating the mailbox can sometimes trigger a fresh verification cycle.
Step 5: Common Root Causes
Based on similar cases, these are the most common reasons this problem occurs:
1. Previous Email Provider Conflict
If the domain previously used Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or Zoho, remnants of old configuration may interfere with Titan activation.
2. Internal Account Sync Failure
GoDaddy’s interface may show DNS as correct, but Titan’s backend may not update automatically.
3. Product Activation Delay
Sometimes the email plan is purchased but not fully activated in the system.
4. Domain Association Issue
The email plan might exist, but the domain is not officially attached to it internally.
Step 6: Why DNS Tools Show Green but Email Still Fails
This is where confusion peaks.
External DNS tools (like DNSChecker or MXToolbox) check public DNS only. They do not check Titan’s internal account linkage.
So:
Public DNS: Correct
Provider Backend: Not verified
The yellow warning remains.
It creates the illusion that DNS is still wrong, when in reality the problem is backend synchronization.
Step 7: Advanced Considerations (SPF and DMARC)
In the DNS screenshot, a DMARC record existed:
v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; adkim=r; aspf=r; rua=mailto:dmarc_rua@onsecureserver.net;
However, there was no visible SPF record.
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is used for sending email authentication. Without SPF:
- Outgoing mail may land in spam
- Receiving mail still works
SPF does not block incoming mail. Therefore, SPF is not responsible for the MX error message.
Step 8: The Final Reality
After:
- Correct MX records
- Global DNS propagation
- 24-hour waiting period
- Verified nameservers
- Correct domain hosting
If the error persists, the conclusion is clear:
The issue is internal to the email provider.
At that point, the solution is not technical DNS adjustment — it requires provider-side refresh.
Support can manually:
- Re-link domain to Titan
- Refresh verification
- Reprovision mailbox
- Clear backend cache
Once that is done, the banner disappears immediately.
The Bigger Lesson: Email Is Two Systems, Not One
Most people think email configuration is just “adding MX records.” That’s only half of the equation.
Email requires:
- Correct DNS routing
- Correct internal provider validation
Both must align.
DNS says where mail goes.
Provider confirms it accepts responsibility.
If those two layers disagree, the system stalls.
Conclusion
The MX record problem in GoDaddy Titan email is often not purely a DNS mistake. It may begin as one, but once DNS is corrected, lingering errors are usually internal verification issues.
The key takeaways:
- MX records must exist and point correctly.
- Nameservers must match the DNS zone being edited.
- Propagation can take time, but not more than 24 hours.
- External DNS verification tools confirm routing.
- If everything is correct and the error persists, the issue is provider-side.
Email feels simple, but it rests on a layered system of DNS routing, server authentication, and backend validation. When one layer miscommunicates, the entire system appears broken.
Understanding these layers transforms frustration into clarity. Instead of guessing, you trace the failure point. Instead of waiting blindly, you verify.
And once you understand how the plumbing works, the yellow banner stops being mysterious — it becomes just another solvable system state.