Published: 22.04.2026
DNS is the phone book of the internet: it turns a domain name into the technical information needed to open a website or deliver an e-mail. This guide explains the most common record types in plain language.
A record
Points a name to an IPv4 address, for example example.com → 203.0.113.10. This is the record that makes the website open.
AAAA record
The same as an A record, but for an IPv6 address. Add it if your server has IPv6.
CNAME record
Makes one name an alias of another, for example www → example.com. A CNAME cannot be placed on the root of the domain next to other records.
MX record
Tells the world which servers receive e-mail for the domain. Each MX record has a priority; the lowest number is tried first.
TXT record
Holds free text. It is used for domain verification and for e-mail protection: SPF, DKIM and DMARC are all TXT records.
NS record
Names the nameservers that are authoritative for the domain. Changing them moves the whole DNS zone to another provider.
SRV, CAA and others
SRV describes services such as SIP or game servers. CAA limits which certificate authorities may issue SSL certificates for your domain.
What is TTL?
TTL is the time in seconds that resolvers keep the answer. A low TTL (300) makes changes visible faster; a high TTL (3600 or more) reduces load. Lower the TTL a day before planned changes.
How long do changes take?
Usually minutes, sometimes up to 24-48 hours when old answers are cached. Changing nameservers can take longer.
Tips
- Never delete the NS records of your own zone.
- Keep a copy of the zone before editing.
- Use the check tools of your control panel to confirm what the internet sees.
