gmail started reporting SERVFAIL when sending email to my domain

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Toby Chappell

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Jul 6, 2022, 10:29:53 AM 7/6/22
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I"m not sure exactly when the issue began, but now whenever a gmail user attempts to email an address at xeper.org (a domain I'm one of the admins for), they consistently receive a notice that SERVFAIL was encountered when looking up the MX records for xeper.org . It looked at first like the issue might have been happening only for Europe-based gmail users, but now I'm also encountering it in the US with my gmail account (and have other US-based gmail users reporting issues).

Yet, ' dig @ 8.8.8.8 xeper.org mx ' and  ' dig @ 8.8.4.4 xeper.org mx ' always seem to resolve it just fine, so at least some  Google DNS servers can find the records.

I've used several DNS diagnosis tool sites (mxtoolbox, whatsmydns, dns.google , intodns) to query the records and/or inspect the DNS config, but nothing jumps out.  As far as I am aware, *only* gmail users are having this issue sending email to addresses @ xeper.org

What am I missing or could be potential causes for this?

We have a second domain, templeofset.org , which uses the same DNS servers yet gmail users have no problems sending email to addresses hosted on that domain. My first thought was it might be occasional issues timing out on DNS resolution, but the lack of problems with @ templeofset.org addresses (not to mention the consistent occurrence of the failures) seems to rule that out.

Thanks for any insight or assistance,
Toby Chappell


Toby Chappell

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Jul 6, 2022, 10:42:51 AM 7/6/22
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We have since solved this by moving our name servers to Google Cloud DNS. 'dig +trace' was making it clear that our self-hosted name servers were taking too long to respond for Gmail's taste (implying that maybe google uses shorter timeouts than the rest of the internet for this... only gmail senders were receiving SERVFAIL when attempting to email addresses at our domain).

-Toby

niraj karn

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Aug 2, 2022, 1:04:53 PM 8/2/22
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If you don't mind, can you please reply if this is resolved for you?

Payel Chowdery

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Aug 2, 2022, 3:24:08 PM 8/2/22
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Thanks

niraj karn

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Aug 2, 2022, 3:24:31 PM 8/2/22
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Thank you Toby!

On Wednesday, July 6, 2022 at 9:42:51 AM UTC-5 Toby Chappell wrote:

Steven Kenneth

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Sep 9, 2025, 9:10:20 PM 9/9/25
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DNS Error: DNS type 'mx' lookup of *domain* failed with status: CANCELLED:
I have been struggling with this for a long time and I am hoping someone with Google can post here or someone that is or has had these same issues.

I am using a cPanel server and I just spent 5 days with an open ticket and great support from cPanel about gmails going to cPanel emails and having the error bounceback and no emails getting through.

Error code = 
DNS Error: DNS type 'mx' lookup of *domain* failed with status: CANCELLED:

At times they go through, while other times they dont.  CPanel support has tested all DNS rigorously and used thier gmails and such and never any issues.  From level 2 techs all the way escalated to level 5 tech and still no issues.

I just wish I knew more about this error code and wished I knew if it was with gmail or something else.  I seen the exact message posted here from another user with simular scenario and exact same error.


Please help as I am loosing my marbles and have no idea what to do. Even I can get more info from Google on this.  I wanted to upgrade my gmail just to get support, but you cannot upgrade a free gmail.  It happens ONLY from free gmail accounts sending to my server and the cPanel emails on there.
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