A PTR record maps your address back to a hostname, and matters for mail delivery.
WHY IT IS WORTH DOING
Receiving mail servers check that a sending address has valid reverse DNS, and often that it matches the hostname the sending server announces. A missing or mismatched PTR is a frequent cause of mail being rejected or filtered.
ON A SHARED IP
Already configured to the server's hostname. Nothing to do, and nothing you can change.
ON A DEDICATED IP
You can request a PTR matching a hostname of your own, such as mail.yourdomain.com.
HOW TO REQUEST IT
- Create a forward A record for the hostname, pointing at the dedicated address. Both directions must agree, or the check fails anyway.
- Open a ticket with the dedicated IP address and the hostname you want it to resolve to.
- We set the PTR with the address block's owner.
AFTER IT IS SET
Verify with a reverse DNS lookup tool, and send a test message to a major provider, checking the headers.
Allow time for the change to propagate before concluding it has not worked.
