Guides RECORDS
DNS record types
Your DNS holds several kinds of records, each with its own job. The type decides what happens: put a value in the wrong type and your DNS provider does exactly what you entered while your site or mail still doesn't work. This reference covers the types you'll meet most often in your DNS panel, with an example for each.
A and AAAA: to your website
An A record links a name to an IPv4 address (like 192.0.2.44). An AAAA record does the same for an IPv6 address (the newer, longer variant). This is the record that makes example.com reach the right web server.
Example: example.com A 192.0.2.44. If you have both an A and an AAAA, your site is reachable over both address types.
CNAME: an alias to another name
A CNAME (Canonical Name) is an alias: 'this name is really that other name'. Handy when you want www.example.com to point to example.com, or a subdomain to a provider's service.
Example: www.example.com CNAME example.com. Note two rules: a name with a CNAME can't hold any other records (so no MX or TXT on that same name), and that's why on your main domain (the 'root', example.com itself) you usually can't have a CNAME. Use an A/AAAA record there.
MX: where your mail goes
An MX record (Mail eXchange) tells sending mail servers which server the mail for your domain should go to. You can have several, each with a priority number: a lower number takes precedence.
Example: example.com MX 10 mail.example.com. Does your domain receive no mail at all? Then you can set a 'null MX' (example.com MX 0 .) to explicitly say: no mail is received here. If it sends nothing either, add v=spf1 -all alongside it (see the SPF guide).
TXT: free text (and your mail security)
A TXT record simply holds text. It's used for all sorts of things, but you'll mainly know it from email security: SPF, DKIM and DMARC are all TXT records. Ownership verifications ('put this code in your DNS to prove the domain is yours') are usually TXT too.
Example: example.com TXT "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all". One name can have several TXT records. The exception is SPF, of which there should be exactly one.
NS: who's in charge of your zone
NS records (Name Server) declare which nameservers give the official answers for your domain. They appear both in your own zone and one level up (at your registrar/TLD), and those two must match.
Example: example.com NS ns1.example.net. When you move your DNS to another provider, you're essentially changing these NS records at your registrar.
SOA: the 'cover page' of your zone
The SOA record (Start Of Authority) sits at the top of every zone and holds its administration: which nameserver is the primary source, a contact address, and a serial number that must go up with every change so other servers know something changed. You rarely create this record yourself. Your DNS provider manages it. Good to recognize, not something to tinker with.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between an A and a CNAME record?
An A record points directly to an IP address. A CNAME points to another name (which itself has an A record). Use A for your main domain and CNAME for aliases like www.
My website works but my mail doesn't (or vice versa). How come?
Website and mail use different records: the website hangs on A/AAAA, the mail on MX. One can work perfectly while the other is missing or wrong. So check the right type.
What is an SRV or CAA record?
Those are less common types. SRV points to a service on a specific port (e.g. for chat or telephony). CAA declares which certificate authority (CA) may issue a TLS certificate for your domain. There's a separate guide on that.
Can I have multiple records of the same type?
Usually yes: multiple A records (load balancing), multiple MX records (backup mail servers), multiple TXT records. Exceptions: exactly one SPF TXT, and no CNAME on the root.
What does the number on an MX record mean?
That's the priority: a lower number takes precedence. 10 mail1 and 20 mail2 means: try mail1 first, and only if it's unreachable use mail2.