DNS records explained (A, CNAME, MX, TXT)
A plain-English guide to the four DNS record types you'll encounter most often — A, CNAME, MX, and TXT — and what each one does.
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
DNS records are the instructions that tell the internet where to send visitors, email, and more when someone uses your domain name. There are many record types, but four come up almost every time we work on a site. This guide explains each one clearly.
Quick summary
The four most common DNS record types are: A (points your domain to an IP address), CNAME (points one name to another name), MX (directs email to your mail provider), and TXT (stores text-based verification and security info). You rarely need to edit these yourself — but understanding them helps.
Where DNS records live
DNS records are stored on your domain's nameservers — either at your registrar (like GoDaddy or Namecheap) or at a DNS management service like Cloudflare. Each record has a type, a name, a value, and a TTL (how long it's cached). See What is DNS? if you're new to the concept.
A records
An A record maps a domain name to an IPv4 address — the numeric address of a server.
Example:
| Name | Type | Value | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|
yourbusiness.com | A | 203.0.113.10 | 3600 |
This record says: "When someone visits yourbusiness.com, send them to the server at that IP address." A records are how your domain finds your website.
You may also see AAAA records — these do the same thing but for the newer IPv6 address format. Most hosting providers manage these automatically.
CNAME records
A CNAME record (Canonical Name) maps one name to another name — not to an IP address. It's used for aliases.
Example:
| Name | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|
www | CNAME | yourbusiness.com |
This record says: "When someone visits www.yourbusiness.com, treat it the same as yourbusiness.com." That way, both addresses load your site.
CNAME records are also used to connect services. For example, a Mailchimp signup form or a third-party chat widget might ask you to add a CNAME pointing to their servers.
A CNAME at the root needs special handling
The DNS standard doesn't let a plain CNAME sit at your bare domain (yourbusiness.com — no www) alongside the domain's other records, so DNS providers work around it in their own ways. Cloudflare, for example, lets you enter a CNAME at the root and returns the final IP address instead — it calls this CNAME flattening. If your provider offers nothing similar, use an A record at the root.
MX records
MX records (Mail Exchange) tell the internet which servers handle incoming email for your domain. Without correct MX records, email sent to you@yourbusiness.com won't arrive.
Example:
| Name | Type | Priority | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
@ | MX | 1 | smtp.google.com |
That's the record Google Workspace asks for today. The @ symbol means "the root domain." The priority number tells email servers which server to try first — lower numbers are tried first. Some providers give you several MX records for redundancy; others, Google Workspace included, now use a single one.
MX records are set by whoever provides your email — Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoho, or others. See Email DNS records for the full picture.
TXT records
TXT records store plain text information about your domain. They're used for verification and email security.
Common TXT record uses:
- Domain ownership verification — Google, Microsoft, and others ask you to add a TXT record to prove you control the domain. See Verifying domain ownership.
- SPF — tells receiving email servers which senders are authorized to send email for your domain. See SPF records, explained.
- DKIM — a cryptographic signature that proves emails really came from you. See DKIM records, explained.
- DMARC — sets a policy for how email providers should handle messages that fail authentication. See DMARC records, explained.
Example:
| Name | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|
@ | TXT | v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all |
Other record types
You may encounter these less often:
| Type | What it does |
|---|---|
| NS | Nameserver records — say which server should be used for authoritative DNS |
| SOA | Start of Authority — zone-level information your DNS provider creates and maintains for you |
| SRV | Service records — give a host and port for services such as internet calling (VoIP) and instant messaging |
| CAA | Says which certificate authorities are allowed to issue SSL certificates for your domain |
Common questions
What does the @ symbol mean in DNS records?
The @ symbol represents the root (or "apex") of your domain — meaning yourbusiness.com itself, with no prefix. So an MX record with the name @ applies to email at yourbusiness.com.
What is TTL and should I change it?
TTL (Time To Live) is how long DNS servers cache a record, in seconds. A TTL of 3600 means the record is cached for one hour. Before making DNS changes, we sometimes lower the TTL to 300 (5 minutes) so changes take effect faster.
Can I have multiple records of the same type?
For most types, yes. You can have multiple MX records (for email redundancy) and multiple TXT records. You typically have only one A record per hostname, though you can have multiple for load balancing.
I was asked to add a DNS record — what do I do?
We'll give you the exact values to enter. If you'd prefer us to handle it, just grant us access to your DNS. See Give us access to manage your DNS.
Related guides
- What is DNS?
- Nameservers vs DNS records
- Email DNS records (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
- Verifying domain ownership
- Common DNS problems & fixes
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