MailFixIt

Barracuda Email Gateway Defense setup

Barracuda Email Gateway Defense: inbound mail bypasses the gateway

Your domain's public MX records may not match the Barracuda routes assigned to your account.

Problem description

The visible symptom is:

Inbound mail bypasses Barracuda Email Gateway Defense or stops after the MX change.

Check the sending domain

Fix the mail route

  1. Add and verify the domain in Barracuda Email Gateway Defense.
  2. Confirm the destination mail server in Barracuda can receive mail.
  3. Copy the MX hostnames and priorities assigned to your Barracuda account.
  4. Publish that complete MX set at the domain’s DNS provider.
  5. Remove old MX routes only after the Barracuda route is ready.
  6. Check public MX results, then send a new message from an external account.

Why partial changes fail

Barracuda says all MX records must point to its service. A leftover direct-delivery MX can bypass filtering. A Barracuda MX published before the domain and destination are ready can stop delivery.

What the check proves

A public check can show the current MX hosts, priorities, conflicts, and DNS visibility. It cannot prove that Barracuda knows the domain or can reach the final mailbox.

Frequently asked questions

Why does mail bypass Barracuda Email Gateway Defense?

A non-Barracuda MX record can give senders a direct path around the gateway. The domain can also fail if its Barracuda destination server is not ready.

Should I copy a DNS value from another company?

No. Use the value shown for your own tenant, region, and mail route. Preserve every other service that still sends or receives mail.

Related email diagnostics

Email delivery delayed or rejected after a DNS migrationDiagnose email that stopped arriving after a DNS change. Compare public MX records with the intended provider and avoid false alarms for mail gateways. Null MX conflicts with ordinary MX recordsDiagnose Null MX email rejection. Learn when MX 0 . is valid, find conflicting ordinary MX records, and repair incoming mail routing safely. Barracuda Email Gateway Defense: SPF fails for outbound mailFix SPF failure when Barracuda Email Gateway Defense sends outbound mail for your domain.

Primary sources: Barracuda: Configure MX records to direct mail to Email Gateway Defense.