How to Set Up Business Email on Your Own Domain (Step by Step)
Last updated: 03 October 2026
An address like [email protected] tells customers at first glance that you are a serious business. With Arcnar Workspace you create that address on your own domain and use it from webmail, your phone and Outlook. This guide walks through the setup end to end, assuming your domain is ready.
What you need before you start
- A domain. It can be registered anywhere; you don't need to transfer it. You only need access to its DNS settings.
- An Arcnar account. Sign-up is free and needs no invite code.
- How many people need an address. Plans include a set number of people; you add more per person. Current plans and prices are on the Workspace page.
1. Pick a plan and pay
On the Workspace page in the store, choose the number of people and the billing period (monthly or yearly) and add it to your cart. Once the invoice is paid the subscription starts and the My Workspace page appears in your panel. It shows your seats, domains, storage use and the next invoice.
2. Connect your domain
Under My Workspace → Domains, type your domain and add it. The panel immediately lists the DNS records for that domain and checks each one live.
| Record | Type | Name | Value | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mail routing | MX | @ | mail.arcmail.co (priority 10) | Yes |
| SPF | TXT | @ | v=spf1 include:_spf.arcmail.co ~all | Yes |
| DKIM | TXT | The …._domainkey name shown in the panel | A key unique to your domain (copy it from the panel) | Yes |
| DMARC | TXT | _dmarc | v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:[email protected] | Recommended |
| Auto-configuration | CNAME / SRV | autodiscover, autoconfig … | Listed in the panel | Recommended |
DNS changes usually spread within minutes, at most 24 hours. When every required record turns green, the domain shows Verified.
3. Add your people
In the Users tab, create an address for each person (jane@, accounting@ and so on) and set a password. You can add a name, title, department and photo; these appear on sent mail and in the company directory.
- Alias: a second address for the same mailbox (e.g.
info@→ Jane's mailbox). It doesn't use a seat. - Group: a shared mailbox used by several people (e.g.
support@). Every message lands in the group's inbox and you can see who replied. Groups don't use a seat either.
4. Start using your mail
Everyone signs in at mail.arcnar.com with their own address and password. To use an app such as your phone's mail app or Outlook, the settings are:
| Server | Port | Security | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incoming (IMAP) | mail.arcmail.co | 993 | SSL/TLS |
| Outgoing (SMTP) | mail.arcmail.co | 465 | SSL/TLS |
| Outgoing (alternative) | mail.arcmail.co | 587 | STARTTLS |
The username is the full email address. If you added the auto-configuration records, Outlook and Thunderbird find these settings on their own once you type the address. For general client settings see the IMAP/SMTP guide.
Also included
- ArcDrive: your team's shared file space. Send large attachments as an ArcDrive link instead of putting them in the message.
- Security tab: the last 30 days of webmail, IMAP and SMTP sign-ins. If you see an IP you don't recognise, change that person's password.
- Calendar and contacts: built into webmail.