It is reported the results of a systematic study on planar waveguides fabricated in Y-cut MgO:LiNbO3 crystal. The index profile of the as-exchanged waveguide can be modeled as a step-like one. It is deduced the diffusion coefficient and the activation energy for the proton exchange process. The surface index increases Δne of around 0.127 after proton exchange can be reduced by post thermal annealing. The effects of the annealing on the index profile and guide depth were found not as fast as it does on a pure LiNbO3 crystal.