Configure a PTR record in your hosting control panel

Quick answer

Setting a PTR record is different from every other DNS change you make, because it’s controlled by the owner of your IP, not by your domain’s DNS. Here’s how it works across common hosting and cloud providers.

The key concept first

You set forward records (A, MX, CNAME) in your domain’s DNS. But the PTR record lives in the reverse zone for your IP, which the IP’s owner controls. So you configure a PTR through your hosting/cloud provider’s panel (or by asking their support), not in your domain registrar’s DNS. The forward A record must exist first and point to the IP.

The general process

Wherever you host, the steps are the same in spirit: (1) create an A record for your mail hostname (e.g. mail.example.com) pointing to your server IP, in your domain DNS; (2) in your provider’s panel, find the reverse DNS / PTR setting for that IP; (3) set the PTR to the same hostname; (4) save and wait for propagation.

Where to find it on major platforms

On most major cloud platforms, reverse DNS is set on the network resource — typically the instance, its public/elastic IP, or the network interface — under a “reverse DNS,” “PTR,” or “DNS” option in that resource’s settings. On many providers you simply type the desired hostname into a reverse-DNS field and save. Providers that don’t expose a self-service control require a support request naming the IP and the hostname you want.

Because provider interfaces change, the reliable approach is to search your specific host’s documentation for “reverse DNS” or “PTR record” — the setting is consistently tied to the IP resource, not the DNS zone.

Verify it worked

After saving, check the result with our Reverse DNS tool — the IP should now resolve to your chosen hostname. Confirm the forward A record points back to the same IP so you have valid FCrDNS. Allow a few hours for propagation before assuming it failed.

If you’re on shared hosting

On shared hosting you usually can’t set a custom PTR, because the IP is shared and its reverse DNS points to the host’s generic name. For reliable mail, that’s a reason to use a dedicated IP or a transactional email service — see IP reputation on shared hosting.