What is the difference between an A record and a CNAME?

An A record maps a hostname directly to an IPv4 address. A CNAME aliases one hostname to another name, which is then resolved. A CNAME cannot coexist with other records at the same name and is not allowed at the zone apex.

Which record type is used for email?

MX records specify the mail servers for a domain, each with a priority value where a lower number is preferred. SPF, DKIM and DMARC policies are published as TXT records.

What is the difference between A and AAAA records?

An A record points a hostname to an IPv4 address (like 93.184.216.34), while an AAAA record points it to an IPv6 address (like 2606:2800:220:1::1946). Domains often have both so they work over either protocol.

What is a TXT record used for?

A TXT record holds arbitrary text and is widely used for email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and for verifying domain ownership with services like Google or Microsoft. SPF is published as a TXT record rather than the deprecated SPF type.

Why can't I put a CNAME at the root domain?

The zone apex (the bare domain like example.com) must carry SOA and NS records, and a CNAME cannot coexist with other records at the same name. Providers offer ALIAS or ANAME records to get CNAME-like behaviour at the apex.

What are CAA records for?

A CAA record lists which certificate authorities are allowed to issue TLS certificates for your domain, for example 'issue letsencrypt.org'. It is a safeguard against unauthorised certificate issuance.

Is any data sent anywhere?

No — this is a static reference that runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

DNS Record Types Reference

DNS record types reference

A searchable reference of the DNS record types you work with most, from A and AAAA to CNAME, MX, TXT, NS, SOA, CAA, SRV and the DNSSEC records. It is for developers and site owners setting up domains, email and certificates who need to pick the right record quickly.

How it works

DNS translates human-friendly names into the addresses and metadata that make the internet work, and each record type does a specific job. Type a record type or keyword — for example CNAME, mail or dnssec — and the list filters instantly by type name, full name or description. Each entry shows a plain-English meaning and a sample zone-file line you can adapt. The reference is static and runs entirely in your browser.

Quick reference

Type	Purpose	Example data
A	Hostname → IPv4 address	93.184.216.34
AAAA	Hostname → IPv6 address	2606:2800:220:1::1946
CNAME	Alias one name to another	example.com.
MX	Mail server + priority	10 mail.example.com.
TXT	Free text (SPF, DKIM, verification)	“v=spf1 ~all”
NS	Delegate zone to name servers	ns1.example.com.
SOA	Zone metadata and timers	ns1… admin… serial…
CAA	Allowed certificate authorities	0 issue “letsencrypt.org”

Example

Searching for mail surfaces the MX record, which names a domain’s mail servers with a priority value (lower is preferred). A typical line looks like:

example.com.  MX  10 mail.example.com.

Everything runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded.