What is reverse DNS and what is a PTR record?

Forward DNS turns a hostname into an IP address. Reverse DNS does the opposite, turning an IP address back into a hostname, and the record type that stores it is called PTR. The two terms describe the same thing: rDNS is the concept, PTR is the record.

Why can I not set the PTR record myself?

Because reverse DNS lives in the zone belonging to whoever owns the IP block, not in your domain's zone. You control forward DNS for your domain; we control reverse DNS for our address space. That is why every hosting provider sets PTR records on request rather than handing you a control panel field.

Does custom rDNS cost extra?

No. It is part of normal support on every plan, not a paid add-on, and it is not restricted to larger plans.

I send for several different domains from one server. Can I have a PTR for each?

Not on a single IP address. A PTR record belongs to an IP, so one address means one reverse hostname, no matter how many domains you send for. The usual approach is to pick one neutral hostname on your own infrastructure domain for the PTR and HELO, and let SPF, DKIM and DMARC do the per-domain authentication. If you genuinely need separate reverse names, you need separate IP addresses.

Do I need a dedicated IP for this?

Yes, and every plan includes one. A PTR record applies to the whole address, so it would be meaningless on an IP shared between customers.

What about IPv6 reverse DNS?

We set it. Reverse DNS is configured on IPv6 addresses as well as on the dedicated IPv4 every plan includes, in every country we sell in. Request it the same way as an IPv4 PTR — open a ticket with the address and the hostname you want on it.

Will setting rDNS fix my deliverability?

It removes one reason to distrust you; it does not create trust. A missing or generic PTR is a mark against your mail, so fixing it is worth doing, but SPF, DKIM, DMARC, a gradual volume ramp and above all a clean opt-in list are what actually decide whether mail reaches the inbox.

How long does the change take?

The record is updated on our side promptly once you ask. After that, normal DNS caching applies, so allow a little time before every receiving server sees the new value.

Is Port 25 guaranteed on every plan, or just open?

Both, depending on the range, and the difference is worth knowing before you buy. Outbound Port 25 is open by default on all 16 plans — no ticket, no approval step. On NVMe VPS, Cloud VPS, Classic VPS and VDS it is written into the published plan specification. On it is open because of how the network is run rather than as a documented guarantee. In practice it behaves the same on all of them, but if your business stops when you cannot send, buy the range that puts it in writing.

Reverse DNS · Every Plan

Your IP should say your name, not ours.

An IP whose reverse DNS points at a generic hosting hostname looks like every other anonymous sender. Point it at mail.yourdomain.com instead and receiving servers can confirm the machine is who it claims to be. Custom PTR records are set on request, on every plan, at no extra cost.

Custom PTR on request
Dedicated IPv4 included
Port 25 open
Set by support, no fee

How to Request It Common Questions

What receivers check

2 directions

Forward and reverse must agree — that is FCrDNS

IP → hostname (the PTR record)
Hostname → IP (your A record)
HELO name matching both
One PTR per IP, not per domain

rDNS on a VPS, in One Paragraph

Reverse DNS maps your server's IP address back to a hostname, stored as a PTR record. Many receiving mail servers run a check called Forward-Confirmed reverse DNS: they look up the PTR for your sending IP, then look that hostname up again and confirm it resolves back to the same address. If the two agree, and the hostname matches what your mail server announced in its HELO greeting, the message looks like it came from a machine somebody takes responsibility for. Because reverse DNS lives in the IP owner's zone, we set it — on request, free, on any of the 16 plans, all of which include a dedicated IPv4 address.

What it is: a PTR record mapping IP → hostname.
Who sets it: us, because it lives in our address space, not your domain's zone.
Cost: none, on every plan.
Scope: one hostname per IP address — not one per sending domain.
Prerequisite: a forward A record for the same hostname, which you create.
IPv6: depends on the datacenter — ask before you rely on it.

Why Receiving Servers Care

Reverse DNS is a cheap, hard-to-fake signal, which is exactly why spam filters lean on it.

Anyone can claim a name. Not everyone can prove it.

Your mail server introduces itself with a HELO greeting, and it can say anything it likes. The PTR record cannot — it can only be set by whoever holds the IP address. When the greeting and the PTR agree, the receiving server knows the claim was backed by someone with control of the address space.

A generic hostname is worse than it looks

An IP that reverses to something like a provider's default pool hostname tells the receiver only that the sender did not bother. Some filters weight that heavily, and a few large providers reject outright on a missing PTR. It is the cheapest deliverability problem there is to fix.

Setting It Up, Start to Finish

Five steps. Only one of them needs us.

0 of 5 done

Pick the hostname the server will identify as One hostname, on a domain you control — mail.yourdomain.com is the usual shape. This is the name your mail server will announce in its HELO/EHLO greeting, so choose it before you configure anything else.
Create the forward A record first Point mail.yourdomain.com at your VPS IPv4 address in your domain's DNS. This has to exist before the PTR is useful: the check receiving servers run is that the hostname resolves back to the same address, so a PTR pointing at a hostname with no A record fails just as badly as no PTR at all.
Send us the hostname and the IP Open a ticket with the IPv4 address and the exact hostname. Reverse DNS lives in the IP owner's zone rather than yours, so this is the one part you cannot do yourself — we set it on our side. Contact support →
Set the same hostname on the server Configure your MTA's HELO/EHLO name to match. In Postfix that is myhostname; every MTA has an equivalent. A PTR that does not match what the server announces defeats the point of setting it.
Verify it in both directions Check the reverse: dig -x YOUR.IP.ADDRESS +short should return your hostname. Then check the forward: dig mail.yourdomain.com +short should return the same IP. Both must agree — that agreement is what Forward-Confirmed reverse DNS means.

If dig -x returns the old value after we have made the change, it is almost always DNS caching rather than a mistake — try again a little later, or query an authoritative resolver directly, before opening a second ticket.

Reverse DNS Questions

Dedicated IPv4, and a PTR record that says your name.

From $4.95 a month, with Port 25 open and reverse DNS set on request at no charge — plus a 7-day money-back guarantee.

See All 16 Plans Request a PTR Record