Gaining access to change old MX records from long-expired domain mapping

  • Unknown's avatar
    stanern · Member ·

    I am in a confusing situation that I can’t find my way through, and I’m pretty thoroughly embarrassed about it. Many years ago (really–probably 12-14 years ago), I set up domain mapping through WordPress for a custom URL I already owned (my own name, previously registered elsewhere), for a rudimentary website associated with my freelance business. At that time, I then went through whatever DNS/nameserver/MX processes and settings were in place to use my custom domain through Google Apps/gmail–changing settings with my domain registrar to direct to WordPress and then changing MX (I think?) fields in WordPress to direct on to Google/gmail. Fast-forward more than a decade, and much as I regret it now, that custom email address has been the address I use for everything and everyone for a very long time, via gmail. So I can’t risk losing access to it anytime soon.

    But I now want/need to simplify and make changes to how I’m accessing my custom email, as well as transfer my domain from one registrar to another, and it seems I can’t safely do any of that without access to records in WordPress that I can no longer access. Although my domain mapping expired several years ago (I no longer wanted a website at that time), I just recently realized that my nameservers still point to WordPress–and that in turn my old MX settings at WordPress are what are directing to Google and allowing me to use my email still (I think?). I thought I could come to my old WordPress account and sort out whatever I need to sort out with nameserver/MX settings and such, but now I see that without domain mapping, I don’t have access to any of that any longer, *and* standalone domain mapping seems to have been discontinued, so I can’t just pay for a year of mapping again (which I would gladly do) to get access. As far as I can tell, the only way I can get back to view my records and make changes would be to buy a WordPress Pro plan, and I also would gladly pay for a month of that if monthly subscriptions were possible, to get this taken care of. But all I see available is a $180 annual plan. And that’s far, far more cost than I can justify when I don’t need and won’t use any of the services.

    Honestly, I knew and understood little about what I was doing when I did all of this well over a decade ago, and now I have only the fuzziest memories of any of it. While the rest of the world has gotten progressively more tech- and web-savvy, I have gone decidedly and drastically in the other direction. :| So … can anyone provide me with information on how I might be able to snag a shorter-term Pro subscription, purchase a standalone domain mapping again, or otherwise get access to these settings?

    Thanks so much,
    Stephanie

    WP.com: Yes
    Correct account: Yes

    The blog I need help with is: (visible only to moderators and staff)

  • staff-blorbo · Staff ·

    Hi there, I see a few different domains mapped throughout your account’s history. Would you mind sharing the one you’re referring to?

    In general, if all you want from the domain is email, you can change your domain’s name servers back to your domain registrar by following their documentation.

    And then, you can just set up the MX records for your email through them, consulting their documentation again and your email provider’s documentation.

    If we know the domain you’re referring to, we might be able to offer some specific recommendations.

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