Records
DNS Records
DNS records map domain names to IP addresses, mail servers, and other destinations. Learn about each record type and when to use them.
A Address Record (IPv4)
Maps a domain name to an IPv4 address. This is the most common record type used to point your domain to a web server.
Example:
@300185.199.108.153
Use @ for the root domain (example.com)
or a subdomain name like www or api.
AAAA Address Record (IPv6)
Maps a domain name to an IPv6 address. Use alongside A records for dual-stack connectivity.
Example:
@3002606:4700:3033::ac43:b4a7CNAME Canonical Name Record
Creates an alias from one domain to another. The browser follows the CNAME to find the actual IP address.
Example:
www300example.comCNAME Restrictions
CNAME records cannot be created at the zone apex (@).
Use an ALIAS record instead for root domain aliasing.
ALIAS ALIAS Record
Edge-specific record that works like a CNAME but can be used at the zone apex. Perfect for pointing your root domain to a load balancer, CDN, or another hostname.
Example:
@300cdn.edge.networkALIAS records are resolved at query time. Edge DNS looks up the target hostname and returns the IP addresses directly to the client.
MX Mail Exchange Record
Specifies mail servers responsible for receiving email for your domain. MX records include a priority value - lower numbers have higher priority.
Example (Google Workspace):
TXT Text Record
Stores arbitrary text data. Commonly used for domain verification, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
SPF Record (email authentication):
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all Domain Verification:
google-site-verification=abc123... DMARC Policy:
v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.com CAA Certification Authority Authorization
Specifies which Certificate Authorities (CAs) are allowed to issue SSL certificates for your domain. Helps prevent unauthorized certificate issuance.
Example:
@ CAA 0 issue "letsencrypt.org"
@ CAA 0 issuewild "letsencrypt.org"
@ CAA 0 iodef "mailto:security@example.com"
CAA Tags
issue- CAs allowed to issue certificatesissuewild- CAs allowed to issue wildcard certificatesiodef- Email/URL to report violations
SRV Service Record
Specifies the location of services like SIP, XMPP, or LDAP. Includes priority, weight, port, and target hostname.
Format:
_service._protocol.name TTL SRV priority weight port target Example (SIP):
_sip._tcp.example.com 300 SRV 10 60 5060 sip.example.com Best Practices
Use appropriate TTLs
Lower TTLs (60-300s) for frequently changing records. Higher TTLs (3600-86400s) for stable records to reduce DNS lookups.
Always add both A and AAAA
If your server supports IPv6, add both record types for optimal connectivity.
Configure email authentication
Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC TXT records to prevent email spoofing.
Add CAA records
Restrict which CAs can issue certificates to improve security.