Core Concepts — Read This First
Before touching any settings, it helps to understand why this setup works and what each piece does. This section explains it in plain English.
The Problem With Email Hosting
To get a professional email like admin@yourdomain.com, you normally need an email hosting provider. Options like Google Workspace cost money monthly. Zoho Mail used to have a free plan — it no longer does. This guide sidesteps that cost entirely.
🌐 Domain
Your web address — e.g. yourdomain.com. Purchased once, renewed yearly. This is what makes your email look professional.
📨 Email Forwarding
ImprovMX catches emails sent to your domain and forwards them to Gmail. It never stores emails — it just routes them.
📤 SMTP Sending
Gmail lets you send email as your domain address using its SMTP server. To the recipient, it looks like it came from admin@yourdomain.com.
🔐 DNS Records
MX, SPF, and DMARC records are DNS settings that tell the internet where your email goes and prove your messages are legitimate — not spam.
ImprovMX Free Plan Limits
The free tier is generous enough for most startups and freelancers.
| Feature | Free Limit | Good For? |
|---|---|---|
| Domains | 1 | ✓ Startups |
| Email Aliases | 25 | ✓ Small Teams |
| Incoming Emails / Day | 500 | ✓ Easily Enough |
| Email Hosting Cost | ₹0 / month | ✓ Budget-Friendly |
What You Need
Get these ready before starting. The setup takes about 15–30 minutes total once everything is in place.
- A domain name — purchased from GoDaddy, Namecheap, or any registrar
- A Gmail account — existing or new, with 2-Step Verification enabled
- An ImprovMX account — free at improvmx.com
- Access to DNS settings — available in your domain registrar dashboard
Budget-Friendly Domain TLDs
Not all domain extensions cost the same. Popular ones like .com and .in can be expensive. These alternatives are much cheaper:
.online
Very affordable. Great for digital businesses and portfolios.
.co
Looks modern. Works well for companies and startups.
.site
Low cost. Good for personal projects and small businesses.
Buy a Domain (GoDaddy)
This phase gets you a domain name. Any registrar works — GoDaddy is used in this guide.
Create a Registrar Account
Sign up at your preferred domain provider. GoDaddy is used in this guide, but Namecheap works equally well.
🟠 GoDaddy
Large registrar. Good promotions for first-year domains. Used in this guide.
🟣 Namecheap
Often cheaper for renewals. Clean interface. Also works perfectly.
Search for Your Domain Name
Use the search bar to check if your desired name is available. Try your brand name with a budget TLD if .com is expensive.
Purchase and Confirm Activation
Add the domain to your cart, select the registration period (1 year minimum), and complete payment. Then verify it's active.
# After purchase, navigate to:
Profile → My Products → Domains
# Your domain should show status:
ActiveSet Up ImprovMX (Email Forwarding)
ImprovMX is the bridge between your domain and Gmail. It receives emails at admin@yourdomain.com and forwards them to your Gmail inbox.
Prepare Your Gmail Account (Do This First)
Before creating your ImprovMX account, ensure your Gmail is ready. You need both a Gmail account and 2-Step Verification enabled — without it, App Passwords won't work in Phase 4.
# Create a new Gmail account (if needed):
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/56256
# Enable 2-Step Verification (mandatory):
https://safety.google/safety/authentication/Create an ImprovMX Account
Head to ImprovMX and sign up for a free account. No credit card required.
https://improvmx.comAdd Your Domain and Create an Alias
Inside ImprovMX, click Add Domain, enter your domain name (e.g. yourdomain.com), then create an alias.
# Common alias choices for businesses:
admin@yourdomain.com → forwards to your Gmail
info@yourdomain.com → forwards to your Gmail
support@yourdomain.com → forwards to your Gmailadmin@yourdomain.com will be automatically forwarded to your Gmail inbox. You'll start seeing them there once DNS is configured in Phase 3.
DNS Configuration (GoDaddy)
DNS records are how the internet knows where to deliver your emails. You'll add three types of records in GoDaddy's DNS panel.
My Products → Domains → yourdomain.com → DNSAdd MX Records — Receiving Emails
MX records tell the internet which mail server receives emails for your domain. First, delete any existing MX records, then add these two exactly.
| Type | Host | Value | Priority | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MX | @ | mx1.improvmx.com | 10 | Default |
| MX | @ | mx2.improvmx.com | 20 | Default |
mx1 first (priority 10), and fall back to mx2 (priority 20) if the first is unavailable. This gives you redundancy.
Add SPF Record — Prevent Spam Rejection
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) tells receiving mail servers that Gmail and ImprovMX are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. Without this, your outgoing emails may land in spam.
| Type | Host | Value |
|---|---|---|
| TXT | @ | v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:improvmx.com ~all |
Add DMARC Record — Trust & Verification
DMARC tells receiving servers what to do with emails that fail SPF/DKIM checks, and where to send reports. This builds domain reputation over time.
| Type | Host | Value |
|---|---|---|
| TXT | _dmarc | v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:admin@yourdomain.com; ruf=mailto:admin@yourdomain.com; fo=1 |
admin@yourdomain.com in the DMARC value with your actual alias email address.
p=none policy means: monitor only, don't reject anything. It's the safest starting point. Once your domain reputation is established, you can change it to p=quarantine or p=reject.
Enable Sending from Gmail
This phase configures Gmail to send emails as admin@yourdomain.com. Recipients will see your domain address — not your personal Gmail — in the From field.
Create a Gmail App Password
An App Password is a special one-time password that lets third-party apps (like Gmail's SMTP setup) authenticate securely without exposing your main password.
# Navigate to Google App Passwords:
https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords# 1. In the "App name" field, type:
ImprovMX
# 2. Click "Create"
# 3. Copy the 16-character password shown
# Save it — it will not be shown again!Add Your Domain Email as a Gmail Alias
In Gmail settings, you'll register your domain email as an address you can send from.
Settings (⚙️) → See all settings
→ Accounts and Import
→ Send mail as → Add another email addressName: Your Business Name
Email: admin@yourdomain.com
# Important: UNCHECK "Treat as an alias"
# Then click "Next Step"Enter SMTP Server Settings
This tells Gmail to use Google's own SMTP servers to send email on behalf of your domain address. Use your Gmail credentials — not the domain password.
SMTP Server: smtp.gmail.com
Port: 587
Username: yourgmail@gmail.com
Password: [Gmail App Password from Step 1]
Security: TLS (enabled)Click Add Account when done.
Verify Ownership
Gmail sends a verification code to admin@yourdomain.com. Because ImprovMX is set up, this email gets forwarded to your Gmail inbox. Confirm the link to complete the alias setup.
Gmail sends code → admin@yourdomain.com
↓
ImprovMX forwards → yourgmail@gmail.com
↓
You click the link → Alias confirmed ✓Testing Your Setup
Run these three tests to confirm everything is working end-to-end.
Test Forwarding via ImprovMX Dashboard
Inside your ImprovMX account, find your alias and click the Test button. ImprovMX will send a test email to admin@yourdomain.com. Within a minute, you should receive it in your Gmail inbox.
Send a Test Email from Gmail
Compose a new email in Gmail. In the From field, use the dropdown to select admin@yourdomain.com. Send it to any email address (a Yahoo or Outlook account works well).
Reply Test — Full Round-Trip
Ask someone with an external email (Yahoo, Outlook) to reply to your test email. Their reply should arrive in your Gmail inbox, showing it was sent to admin@yourdomain.com.
What You Have Now
If testing passed, your professional email setup is complete. Here's a summary of what you've built.
✉️ Capabilities
💰 Cost Breakdown
What You've Built
- Professional domain email address (
admin@yourdomain.com) - Inbound email forwarding via ImprovMX — up to 500 emails/day
- Up to 25 aliases on the free plan (info@, support@, contact@, etc.)
- Outbound sending via Gmail SMTP — looks professional to recipients
- SPF + DMARC DNS records — reduces spam likelihood
- Zero monthly email hosting cost