Email Setup Wizard

Proton Mail + Amazon Route 53

Set up Proton Mail email on Amazon Route 53

The records Proton Mail needs, written with the field names Amazon Route 53 uses (Record name, Value), in the order to add them.

  • 5 steps
  • 8 DNS records
  • Sources checked October 21, 2026

Before you start

  1. Have your Proton Mail account ready. Some values are unique to your account and come from the Proton Mail settings (Domain names).
  2. Open DNS at Amazon Route 53: Open the Route 53 console and select Registered domains, then your domain. Select Manage DNS, then the hosted zone for your domain. If no hosted zone exists, create one first.
  3. Keep both tabs open and add the records below one at a time.

Records to add

Copy each value with the button next to it. Rows marked “Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names)” are unique to your account.

Domain verification Proves you own the domain Type TXT Record name Leave empty Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Looks like: protonmail-verification= followed by a code Priority n/a TTL Default
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Record name Leave empty Value 10 mail.protonmail.ch Priority in the value TTL Default
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Record name Leave empty Value 20 mailsec.protonmail.ch Priority in the value TTL Default
SPF record Which servers may send as you Type TXT Record name Leave empty Value "v=spf1 include:_spf.protonmail.ch ~all" Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Record name protonmail._domainkey Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Record name protonmail2._domainkey Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Record name protonmail3._domainkey Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Priority n/a TTL Default
DMARC record What to do with fakes · recommended Type TXT Record name _dmarc Value "v=DMARC1; p=quarantine" Priority n/a TTL Default

Step by step in Amazon Route 53

Verify your domain

Your email provider needs proof that you control this domain before it accepts email for it.

Type
TXT
Record name
Leave this field empty
Value
Copy it from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) (see below)

Where to find your value

In Proton Mail open Settings → Domain names, add your domain and copy the verification value.

It looks like: protonmail-verification= followed by a code

In Amazon Route 53

  1. Select Create record.
  2. Enter the Record name (leave it empty for your bare domain) and choose TXT.
  3. In Value, enter the text inside double quotes. If you already have a TXT record on that name, add the new value as another line in the same record.
  4. Select Create records.

Point your MX records

MX records tell every other mail server where to deliver email for your domain. They must point to your provider and nowhere else.

Type
MX
Record name
Leave this field empty
Value
10 mail.protonmail.ch
  • Delete any other MX records, or make sure Proton's have the lowest priority number.
Type
MX
Record name
Leave this field empty
Value
20 mailsec.protonmail.ch

In Amazon Route 53

  1. In the hosted zone, select Create record.
  2. Leave Record name empty, choose MX as Record type, and keep Simple routing.
  3. In Value, enter the priority, a space, then the mail server (for example 10 mail.example.com). Put each mail server on its own line in the same record.
  4. Select Create records, then delete any older MX records.
  5. Repeat for each MX record above.

Add the SPF record

SPF is a TXT record that lists the services allowed to send email from your domain, so receivers can spot forgeries.

Type
TXT
Record name
Leave this field empty
Value
"v=spf1 include:_spf.protonmail.ch ~all"
  • Keep one SPF record. To keep an existing one, add include:_spf.protonmail.ch right after v=spf1.

In Amazon Route 53

  1. Select Create record.
  2. Enter the Record name (leave it empty for your bare domain) and choose TXT.
  3. In Value, enter the text inside double quotes. If you already have a TXT record on that name, add the new value as another line in the same record.
  4. Select Create records.

Set up DKIM

DKIM publishes a public key so receivers can confirm your messages really came from you and were not changed on the way.

Type
CNAME
Record name
protonmail._domainkey
Value
Copy it from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) (see below)

Where to find your value

Copy the exact target from the DKIM tab of your domain in Proton Mail settings.

  • Add all three DKIM records; Proton rotates keys between them.
  • Some hosts reject a trailing period on CNAME values. If yours does, remove the final dot.
Type
CNAME
Record name
protonmail2._domainkey
Value
Copy it from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) (see below)

Where to find your value

Copy the exact target from the DKIM tab of your domain in Proton Mail settings.

Type
CNAME
Record name
protonmail3._domainkey
Value
Copy it from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) (see below)

Where to find your value

Copy the exact target from the DKIM tab of your domain in Proton Mail settings.

In Amazon Route 53

  1. Select Create record.
  2. Enter the Record name (for example autodiscover) and choose CNAME.
  3. Enter the target in Value.
  4. Select Create records.
  5. Repeat for each CNAME record above.

Add the DMARC record (recommended)

DMARC tells receivers what to do with mail that fails SPF and DKIM, and where to send reports about it.

Type
TXT
Record name
_dmarc
Value
"v=DMARC1; p=quarantine"
  • Proton recommends a p=quarantine policy for most domains.

In Amazon Route 53

  1. Select Create record.
  2. Enter the Record name (leave it empty for your bare domain) and choose TXT.
  3. In Value, enter the text inside double quotes. If you already have a TXT record on that name, add the new value as another line in the same record.
  4. Select Create records.

Check your setup

Once the records are saved, run a live check. We look up your domain in public DNS and tell you what is right, missing or wrong, with the fix in Amazon Route 53’s words.

We only read public DNS records. Nothing is stored.

Common mistakes with Proton Mail on Amazon Route 53

Adding only one DKIM record

Proton uses three DKIM CNAMEs (protonmail, protonmail2, protonmail3). Add all three, matching the values in your setup wizard exactly.

Amazon Route 53: One TXT record per name

With simple routing, Route 53 keeps all TXT values for a name in the same record, one value per line. Add SPF next to a verification value instead of creating a second TXT record.

Amazon Route 53: Split long TXT values

A single quoted string can hold up to 255 characters. Split longer values, such as DKIM keys, into quoted pieces on one line: "part one" "part two".

Visit Proton Mail Visit Amazon Route 53

Rather have someone do it for you?

Tell us your domain and we will add and verify every record for Proton Mail on Amazon Route 53, then send you the check results.

Request done-for-you setup

Proton Mail on Amazon Route 53: questions

Where do I add Proton Mail DNS records in Amazon Route 53?

Open the Route 53 console and select Registered domains, then your domain. Select Manage DNS, then the hosted zone for your domain. If no hosted zone exists, create one first. Add each record there, one at a time.

What goes in the Record name field at Amazon Route 53?

Leave it empty for records on your bare domain, such as MX and SPF. For the others, enter only the part before your domain, for example protonmail._domainkey. Amazon Route 53 adds your domain automatically.

Do I need to delete my existing MX records at Amazon Route 53?

Delete any other MX records, or make sure Proton's have the lowest priority number.

Where do I get my Proton Mail DKIM record?

Copy the exact target from the DKIM tab of your domain in Proton Mail settings.

Sources

Every value and step on this page comes from these official pages. Dashboards change, so if something doesn’t match what you see, tell us.

Proton Mail on other hosts

Other email providers on Amazon Route 53