How to Configure DigitalOcean DNS to Manage a Custom Domain for Zoho Mail

Configure DigitalOcean: Introduction

Configure DigitalOcean: Using an outside mail service, like Zoho or Google Apps, is one option to send and receive email using your own unique domain. When compared to maintaining your own mail server, the key advantage of using a third-party mail service is that you may avoid undertaking the constant maintenance that owning a mail server requires. Zoho provides free mail service for up to 10 users on a single custom domain, which is unusual because mail services for custom domains normally cost money.

This guide will demonstrate how to configure Zoho Mail to use your own custom domain that is under the control of the Domain Name Servers of DigitalOcean. Additionally, we’ll demonstrate how to send messages using the mail setup.

Configure DigitalOcean: Prerequisites

You should already be the owner of the domain name you intend to use for your mail domain before moving on. This article also requires that you are managing your domain with DigitalOcean DNS.

You may buy a domain from any of the several domain registrars if you don’t already have one. When you have a domain to use, follow these instructions to configure it with the DigitalOcean DNS:

How to Point Common Domain Registrars’ Nameservers to DigitalOcean

In addition, you might wish to direct the domain to a droplet that houses your web server. You may set that up using the following link:

How to Configure a Host Name on a DigitalOcean Server

Once you have a domain and DigitalOcean’s DNS is in charge of it, you are ready to go further!

Configure DigitalOcean: Join Now

You must first register with Zoho here before utilizing it: Take part. You may sign up using a different email address or any of the OAuth alternatives, including Facebook, Google Apps, etc.

After registering, make sure you are signed in before selecting your mail service plan.

Decision Plan

You will be sent to the Zoho home page after you have logged in. Click the Mail link from here.

Make sure the Add your existing domain checkbox is chosen. then decide on the intended strategy.

We will use the Lite plan for this tutorial because it is free and offers up to 10 mailboxes. Please feel free to choose one of the pricing plans if you want more than 10 mailboxes or extra storage.

You must enter the domain name you wish to use with the mail service after choosing your preferred plan:

Click the Add Domain button after entering your domain name.

After that, click the Proceed to domain ownership verification link. You are now prepared to tell Zoho that you actually own the domain.

Check the Domain

Three alternative methods are available from Zoho to confirm who owns your domain. We’ll employ the CNAME Method, which entails adding a specific CNAME record to the DNS records for your domain.

You should now be on the Zoho website’s Domain Setup screen, which should seem as follows:

Make a note of the CNAME and Destination elements because the next step is to build a CNAME record in the DigitalOcean DNS management using those values.

Go to the Networking section of the DigitalOcean Control Panel in a different browser tab or window. To examine and change the domain’s records, click on it.

Next, choose the CNAME record type in the Create new record area towards the top of the screen.

Then, paste the Zoho-provided CNAME—which resembles zb14217849—into the Enter Name area. Put a dot at the end of the Destination Zoho given and paste it into the Enter Hostname area (i.e. zmverify.zoho.com.). Press the blue “Create Record” button now.

Return to the Zoho Domain Setup page now, and click the Verify button in the bottom-right corner.

At the prompt, click the Proceed button.

You ought to receive the following notification if you typed the CNAME entry correctly:

You can remove the CNAME record you made using the DigitalOcean DNS management once you have confirmed that your domain is yours. Right-click the red X next to the record, then choose OK from the confirmation box.

To create an administrator email account, enter your preferred username and press the Create Account button.

User and group addition
We will click Next on the Add Users screen to go on to the following configuration step. This is presuming you just require one user or that you will later add other mail users. Click the Proceed to Add Users option if you’d like to add users right away.

By clicking Next, we will continue with the Groups page in a similar way.

Insert MX Records

The Zoho MX entries must now be added to your domain’s DNS record.

Return to the DigitalOcean DNS administration page and confirm that the domain you want is chosen.

Choose the MX record type from the Create new record section. then type in mx.zoho.com. Click the Create Record button after entering (with a dot at the end) into the MAIL PROVIDER MAIL SERVER field and 10 into the Priority field.

Follow the previous step, but instead type mx2.zoho.com into the Enter Hostname form and 20 into the Enter Priority field to add the second MX record.

The third MX record, mx3.zoho.com, should then be added with a priority of ’50.

You have now finished setting up your unique domain and Zoho mail! You are free to carry out the remaining procedures Zoho outlines to complete email migration or configure mobile access.

To send emails from an application, use Zoho Mail

It is quite simple to set up your new mail setup so that you may utilize SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) to send mail from one of your apps.

For this purpose, you will often want to establish a new mail user, so let’s do that now.

Configure DigitalOcean: Create a mail account for the application.

Go to the Zoho Mail Control Panel while logged in as your admin mail user in a web browser.

Click Add User after selecting User Details from the navigation menu on the left (right side).

Create a user with the first, last, email, and password of your choice:

The following information will be used in our example:

• Prefix: Application
• Mail as a last name
• Application Mail ID

The email address will be “[email protected]” with “application” as the Mail ID and “example.com” as the domain name. When you set up the mail settings in your program, you will need this user information, including the password, so make a note of them.

Configure the Mail Settings for Your Application

Depending on the program, the exact setup of your application’s mail settings may differ, but the information you’ll need to set up functional outgoing mail is often the same.

When setting your application to send emails using this Zoho configuration, you must include the following information. Naturally, some of your specifics will vary from the example; thus, replace them as necessary:

• Host for SMTP: smtp.zoho.com
• the 465 SMTP port
• Utilize SSL Encryption Sure, employ SSL encryption
• Authenticating SMTP: Utilize SMTP authentication, yes.
• Username or Email Address: The email address you created in the previous step. The email is “[email protected]” in our example.
• Email Name: This is the name that appears next to the email address. “Application Mail” is the name of the email in our example.

Your email password is the one you choose when you first set up your application mail account.

Conclusion: Configure DigitalOcean

Now that you should be able to send and receive emails using your own domain, test it out by using the admin mail user that you established to send and receive emails in the Zoho mail app. If you need to, this is an excellent time to add more mail users and groups. Through Zoho Mail, you may access your mail accounts, and the Zoho Control Panel lets you manage your mail.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How can I direct my domain to the DigitalOcean application?

Click on your app at https://cloud.digitalocean.com/apps, then select the Settings option. Next, choose the Add Domain button and the Edit link to the right of Domains. Enter your custom domain name in the text box next to Domain or Subdomain Name at the top of the Add Domain form before clicking the next button.

How do I validate my domain for Zoho Mail?

Log in to your Zoho Mail Admin Console and use the left pane to access the Domains page. From the list of newly added domains, select the domain you want to verify. Select the Add a TXT record in the DNS option from the drop-down list under the domain’s prove ownership section. To verify a TXT record, click the button.

Is a domain registrar DigitalOcean?

Although it is not a domain name registrar, the DigitalOcean Control Panel allows you to manage your DNS records. Because DigitalOcean DNS interfaces with Droplets and Load Balancers, record maintenance may be made simpler.

Read more:
Common domain registrars should direct users to DigitalOcean Nameservers.