What is an MX (Mail Exchanger) Record?

The Internet depends on a system of servers that convert human-friendly names like "DomainTools.com" into an Internet address (known as an "IP address"). When someone types a website address (called a "URL") into their browser, their computer must first retrieve a domain name record so it knows which IP address to send the request to.A similar process happens when you send an email, except that email servers ask for a special kind of record called an "MX Record" ("MX" stands for "Mail eXchanger"). That record provides the IP address (or addresses) of a server that can receive messages for a certain domain name.