How to create a business email address with your own domain
A business email address uses your company’s domain — priya@yourcompany.in — instead of a free address. Setting one up takes nine steps and about an afternoon. This guide shows each one, using GINbox as the example.
Updated 23 October 2026.
The nine steps
- Choose and register a domain. Keep it short and easy to say aloud. A .in or .co.in domain signals an Indian business; .com works everywhere. Buy it from any domain registrar and keep it on automatic renewal: if the domain lapses, so does your email.
- Choose an email provider. Check the seven things in our guide to choosing business email, especially the price at renewal and how mail delivery is protected.
- Add your domain and prove you own it. The provider gives you a code to publish as a TXT record where your domain’s DNS is managed (usually your registrar). This stops anyone adding a domain that is not theirs.
- Point your mail at the provider (MX). The MX record tells the world where to deliver mail for your domain. Change it last, when your mailboxes are ready, because from that moment new mail arrives at the new provider.
- Add SPF, DKIM and DMARC. These three records make your mail look genuine to Gmail and Outlook (see below). Skipping them is the most common reason business email lands in spam.
- Create a mailbox for each person. Give each person their own mailbox and a way to choose their own password. Add extra addresses such as info@, sales@ and accounts@ as aliases or shared mailboxes.
- Connect the apps. Webmail works in any browser. For Outlook, Apple Mail or a phone’s mail app, enter the provider’s IMAP and SMTP settings (below).
- Move your old mail. Copy each person’s folders from the old provider before you switch. How GINbox moves it for you.
- Test. Send a message from each new address to a Gmail and an Outlook address. Check that it arrives in the inbox, and that the message details show SPF, DKIM and DMARC as “pass”.
The four DNS records, explained
| Record | What it does | On GINbox |
|---|---|---|
| MX | Says where mail for your domain is delivered. | Points to mail.ginbox.net, priority 10. |
| SPF (TXT) | Lists the servers allowed to send mail from your domain. | Includes GINbox’s sending service. If you already have an SPF record, it is merged into it, never added as a second one. |
| DKIM (TXT) | Adds a signature to every message so receivers can check it is genuine. | The panel shows the exact record for your domain, with a copy button. |
| DMARC (TXT) | Tells receivers what to do with mail that fails the checks, and sends you reports. | Starts at p=none (watch, do not block), so your other legitimate senders are not cut off; tighten it later. |
Every provider gives you its own values. On GINbox the admin panel lists each record for your domain and checks it as Found, Not found or Different, so you never have to guess.
Mail app settings
Standard settings that work in Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird and the Gmail app:
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Incoming (IMAP) server | mail.ginbox.net, port 993, SSL/TLS |
| Outgoing (SMTP) server | mail.ginbox.net, port 465 with SSL/TLS, or port 587 with STARTTLS |
| User name | The full email address |
| Password | The one the person chose through their one-time link (or an app password) |
Questions about creating business email
How do I create a business email address?
Register a domain, choose an email provider, add your domain to it, publish the DNS records it gives you (MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC), then create a mailbox for each person. With GINbox the panel lists every record and checks it for you.
Can I get a business email address for free?
Some providers offer a free plan for a few users, often with limits such as no mail-app access. Most businesses pay a small monthly price per mailbox for reliable delivery, mail-app access and support. You still need to own a domain, which costs a yearly fee.
What is the difference between MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC?
MX says where mail for your domain is delivered. SPF lists who may send mail from your domain. DKIM adds a signature to each message so receivers can check it was not altered. DMARC tells receivers what to do with mail that fails those checks, and where to send reports.
How long does it take to set up business email?
Creating mailboxes takes minutes. DNS changes usually take effect within an hour but can take longer, and moving years of old mail runs in the background. Most small businesses finish in an afternoon.
Will I lose my old email when I switch?
Not if you move it first. Keep your MX record pointing at the old provider until your mailboxes are ready, copy the old mail across, then change the record. GINbox copies every folder and message and checks that every message arrived.
Create your business email address today
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