A, AAAA, CNAME, MX and TXT Records Explained

What are DNS records?

DNS records are entries in a domain's DNS zone. Each record type serves a different purpose. The exact fields available depend on your DNS provider.

A and AAAA records

An A record points a name to an IPv4 address. An AAAA record points a name to an IPv6 address. These are commonly used to direct a domain or subdomain to a web server.

CNAME records

A CNAME record makes one hostname an alias of another hostname. It is often used for subdomains that should follow another host's destination. DNS rules restrict where CNAME records can be used, so check your provider's guidance before adding one at the zone apex.

MX records

MX records specify which mail servers receive email for a domain. They include a priority value; lower numbers normally mean higher priority. Correct MX records are only one part of email setup, which may also require SPF, DKIM and DMARC records.

TXT records

TXT records store text values used by services for verification and configuration. They are commonly used for SPF policies, domain ownership checks, DKIM keys and DMARC policies. Copy values exactly as supplied by the service.

Before changing records

Record the existing values before editing. A wrong change can interrupt a website or email delivery. DNS updates may take time to propagate, and your provider's interface may use different field names or formatting rules.