Troubleshooting Workflow Emails with DNS/MX Record Delivery Errors
This guide helps you identify and resolve workflow email delivery failures caused by DNS configuration issues with recipient domains.
Symptom/Error
You may experience these symptoms:
Workflow emails show as "sent" in Dazos but recipients report they never received them
Error messages in delivery logs showing "Host or domain name not found, MX record not found, try again"
Intermittent email delivery where some recipients receive emails while others don't
The workflow appears to be functioning correctly on the Dazos platform side
Cause
These errors indicate a DNS configuration issue with the recipient's email domain, not a problem with the Dazos platform. The workflow is sending emails correctly from Dazos, but the recipient's mail server DNS records (specifically MX records) are not properly configured or cannot be resolved.
MX records tell other email servers where to deliver mail for a specific domain. When these records are missing or incorrectly configured, external email servers cannot deliver messages to that domain.
Solution
Since this is a DNS issue with the recipient's domain, it must be resolved by their IT department or email provider:
Step 1: Verify the Issue is DNS-Related
Check your email delivery logs (such as Mandrill) to confirm you're seeing DNS-related error messages like:
"Host or domain name not found"
"MX record not found"
"Name resolution failed"
Step 2: Contact the Recipient's IT Team
Inform the recipient that their organization's IT department or email provider needs to:
Check their domain's MX record configuration
Verify DNS settings are properly configured
Ensure mail server records are resolving correctly
Test email delivery from external domains
Step 3: Provide Technical Details
Share these specific technical details with the recipient's IT team:
The exact error message: "Host or domain name not found, MX record not found, try again"
The affected email domain(s)
That emails from other external sources may also be failing
That this is a DNS/MX record configuration issue requiring their attention
Step 4: Test After Resolution
Once the recipient's IT team has addressed the DNS configuration:
Test the workflow again by triggering it manually
Confirm with recipients that emails are now being received
Monitor for 24-48 hours to ensure consistent delivery
Expected Result
After the recipient's IT team fixes their DNS/MX record configuration:
Workflow emails will be successfully delivered to the affected domain
No more DNS-related error messages in delivery logs
Consistent email delivery for all workflow notifications
Recipients will receive emails in their inbox as expected
⚠️ Important Notes
This is not a Dazos platform issue - the emails are being sent correctly
Multiple recipients from the same domain may be affected if their organization's MX records are misconfigured
The issue may appear intermittent due to DNS caching and propagation delays
Recipients may still receive some emails from other sources if those systems handle DNS failures differently
Escalation
Contact Dazos Support if:
You need help interpreting email delivery logs to confirm DNS-related errors
The issue persists after the recipient's IT team confirms their DNS records are correct
You're seeing different error messages that may indicate a different type of delivery problem
Multiple client domains are experiencing similar issues simultaneously