Overview
Setting up a domain for an email or website provider usually means adding several records that all have to be correct together – a set of MX records, an SPF record, a verification TXT record, and so on. The Set up a service tool in the SmartHost DNS Manager does that for you.
Choose the service you are configuring, and the DNS Manager stages the whole set of records for you to review before anything goes live.
Quick Start Guide
- Log in at https://portal.smarthost.ie.
- Open Domains and choose DNS Manager (UPDATED).
- Click the domain you want to configure.
- Choose Set up a service.
- Pick the service, fill in anything it asks for, and review the staged records.
- Click Apply changes when you are happy.
Services covered
| Service | What it sets up |
|---|---|
| Google Workspace | The mail records for Google Workspace, plus SPF. |
| Microsoft 365 | The mail and autodiscover records for Microsoft 365, plus SPF. |
| Shopify | The A record for the domain and the CNAME for www. |
| Squarespace | The records Squarespace requires to serve your site. |
Each option links to the provider’s own documentation, so you can confirm the values against the source if you want to.
In-depth Guide
Nothing is applied without your say-so
Choosing a service does not change your DNS. The records are staged, exactly as if you had typed them in yourself, and shown to you as a pending list. You see every record that would be added and every record that would be removed before you decide.
Click Apply changes to save, or Discard all to walk away with your live records untouched.
SPF records are merged, never duplicated
This is the part worth understanding, because getting it wrong quietly breaks email.
A domain must have only one SPF record. If you already have one – because you use another mail service, or a newsletter tool – the DNS Manager does not add a second. It merges the new sender into your existing record and shows you the result as SPF merged (old to new), so you can see exactly what changed before applying it.
Two SPF records on one domain is a broken SPF configuration, and mail providers may reject your mail because of it. Merging avoids that.
Verification records
Some services need a one-off TXT record to prove you control the domain. Where that applies, the tool asks you for the value the provider gave you and stages it alongside the rest.
You can still edit everything afterwards
The staged records are ordinary DNS records. Once applied you can change, add to or remove them like any other record on the zone page.
What happened to DNS Record Sets?
The previous Managed DNS system had a Record Sets feature, which let you build your own templates and apply them to new zones. That has been replaced by Set up a service.
The reason is that the common case – configuring a well-known provider – is now handled for you with values that are kept current and checked against the provider’s documentation, including the SPF merging described above. Building and maintaining your own template is no longer necessary for those services.
If you manage many domains and need the same custom set of records applied across them, two things replace that workflow:
- Export a zone you have already set up correctly, then Import a zone file into the others.
- Change the selected records to apply a single change across many records at once.
If neither fits what you were doing with Record Sets, please tell us – email support@smarthost.ie and describe the workflow, and we will look at it.
FAQ
Will this overwrite my existing records?
You are shown every addition and every removal before anything is applied, so you can see precisely what would change. If a record needs to be replaced for the service to work, that replacement appears in the pending list for you to approve.
Will it break my existing email?
Setting up a mail service replaces your MX records, which is what points your mail somewhere new – so only do it when you intend to move mail. Your SPF record is merged rather than replaced. If you are only connecting a website, your MX records are not touched.
Can I apply more than one service to a domain?
Yes. A mail service and a website service are commonly used together. Apply one, then the other, reviewing each set of staged changes as you go.
What if my provider is not listed?
Add the records by hand with Add a record, using the values your provider gives you. Everything the templates do can be done manually.
Can I undo it?
Yes. Open Earlier versions of this zone and restore the version from before the change.
Need a hand?
Email support@smarthost.ie or call (01) 901 9700 during business hours.
