How to set reverse DNS (PTR) at your hosting company

What it means

Reverse DNS turns your server's IP address back into a name, such as mail.yourdomain.com. The record is called a PTR. Unlike your other DNS records, it is not managed where you bought your domain. It is managed by the company that owns the IP address: your VPS or server provider.

Why it matters

Gmail, Outlook and many other receivers reject or filter email from servers whose IP has no PTR, or a PTR that does not point back to the same IP. A default name like vps-12345.provider.example also looks less trustworthy than a name on your own domain.

How to check

Send an email from your server to your test address on the home page (/). The Reverse DNS section shows the sending IP, its PTR name and whether that name points back to the IP.

How to fix it

Step 1: create the forward record first

At your DNS provider, create an A record (and an AAAA record if you send over IPv6) for the name you want:

mail.yourdomain.com  A  203.0.113.10

Most providers refuse to set a PTR for a name that does not already point to the IP, so do this first and wait until it is visible.

Step 2: set the PTR at your provider

Menus change often, so look for words like "Reverse DNS", "rDNS" or "PTR" in the settings of your server or of its IP address.

• OVH: in the control panel, open the IP section, find your server IP and edit its reverse.
• Hetzner: in the Cloud console or Robot panel, open the server or IP settings and edit the reverse DNS entry for the IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
• Scaleway: in the console, open the instance or its flexible IP and edit the reverse DNS.
• AWS: use an Elastic IP (the default public IP cannot get a custom PTR). Reverse DNS is set on the Elastic IP. AWS also limits port 25 by default; ask them to remove the limit.
• DigitalOcean: the PTR is created from the Droplet's name. Rename the Droplet to exactly mail.yourdomain.com.
• Other providers or home connections: if there is no field, open a support ticket asking for "a PTR record for IP 203.0.113.10 set to mail.yourdomain.com". Many home internet providers do not allow it at all; use a relay service in that case.

Step 3: use the same name everywhere

Configure your mail server to introduce itself with this same name. In Postfix:

myhostname = mail.yourdomain.com

Common mistakes

• Setting the PTR to the bare domain yourdomain.com when it points to a website on another IP.
• Forgetting IPv6: if your server sends over IPv6, that address needs its own PTR. Gmail is strict about it.
• Trying to add a PTR at Cloudflare, GoDaddy or your registrar. It will have no effect on your server IP.

Check that it is fixed

PTR changes usually appear within minutes to a few hours. Send a new test email from the home page. The Reverse DNS section should show mail.yourdomain.com and confirm it points back to the same IP.