The 11 fields and concepts you'll meet in the response — defined in plain English, each with a real example value.
A DNS record that maps a domain name to an IPv4 address.
A records are the most common DNS record type. When you type a domain in your browser, the DNS system returns the A record to find the server's IP address. A domain can have multiple A records for load balancing.
Exampleexample.com A 93.184.216.34
A DNS record that maps a domain name to an IPv6 address.
AAAA records serve the same purpose as A records but for IPv6 addresses. As IPv6 adoption grows, having AAAA records ensures your domain is accessible to IPv6-only clients.
Exampleexample.com AAAA 2606:2800:220:1:248:1893:25c8:1946
A DNS record that specifies mail servers responsible for receiving email for a domain.
MX records include a priority value (lower = higher priority). Email clients query MX records to determine where to deliver mail. Multiple MX records provide redundancy if the primary server is unavailable.
Exampleexample.com MX 10 mail.example.com
A DNS record that holds arbitrary text data, commonly used for domain verification and email authentication.
TXT records store SPF policies, DKIM public keys, DMARC configurations, and domain verification tokens. They're the most versatile DNS record type, used whenever text data needs to be associated with a domain.
Exampleexample.com TXT "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all"
A DNS record that creates an alias from one domain name to another.
CNAME records point one domain to another instead of an IP address. Useful for subdomains that should resolve to the same destination as another domain. Cannot coexist with other record types for the same name.
Examplewww.example.com CNAME example.com
A DNS record that identifies the authoritative nameservers for a domain.
NS records delegate DNS authority to specific nameservers. When you change DNS providers, you update NS records at your registrar to point to the new provider's nameservers.
Exampleexample.com NS ns1.dnshost.com
Start of Authority record containing administrative information about a DNS zone.
SOA records specify the primary nameserver, administrator email, zone serial number, and timing parameters. Every DNS zone has exactly one SOA record. Serial numbers increment when zone data changes.
Exampleexample.com SOA ns1.example.com admin.example.com 2024010101 3600 600 604800 86400
A TXT record specifying which servers are authorized to send email for a domain.
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) helps prevent email spoofing by listing authorized sending servers. Recipients check SPF to verify the sender's IP is allowed. Format: v=spf1 followed by mechanisms and a default action.
Exampleexample.com TXT "v=spf1 ip4:192.0.2.0/24 include:_spf.google.com -all"
DomainKeys Identified Mail—a method for email authentication using cryptographic signatures.
DKIM adds a digital signature to email headers, verified via a public key stored in DNS as a TXT record. The key is at selector._domainkey.domain.com. DKIM proves emails haven't been modified and originated from the claimed domain.
Exampleselector._domainkey.example.com TXT "v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIGfMA0..."
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance—a policy for handling email authentication failures.
DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM, specifying what recipients should do when authentication fails (none, quarantine, reject) and where to send aggregate reports. Published as a TXT record at _dmarc.domain.com.
Example_dmarc.example.com TXT "v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:[email protected]"
Time To Live—the duration (in seconds) that a DNS record should be cached.
TTL controls how long DNS resolvers cache records before checking for updates. Lower TTLs allow faster propagation of changes but increase DNS query load. Typical values range from 300 (5 minutes) to 86400 (24 hours).
Exampleexample.com A 93.184.216.34 TTL 3600
