DNS records are instructions for a domain. They tell browsers where the website lives, mail servers where to deliver email, and third-party services how to verify ownership.
A Records
An A record points a hostname to an IPv4 address. It is commonly used for the root domain, such as example.co.uk.
AAAA Records
An AAAA record points to an IPv6 address. Use it only if the destination service supports IPv6 for that hostname.
CNAME Records
A CNAME points one hostname to another hostname. It is often used for www, shops, portals, and third-party services.
MX Records
MX records control where email for the domain is delivered. They should point to your chosen email provider.
TXT Records
TXT records are used for SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and service verification. Do not delete TXT records unless you know what relies on them.
Before changing nameservers, copy the full DNS zone. The records that look unimportant are often the ones keeping email or verification working.
A and AAAA Records
An A record points a hostname to an IPv4 address and an AAAA record points to IPv6. Check both when moving a website: an obsolete AAAA record can send some visitors to the old server even after the A record changes. The root domain commonly uses these records.
CNAME and MX Records
A CNAME aliases one hostname to another and is commonly used for www or third-party services. MX records choose mail servers and include priorities; lower numbers are normally preferred. Do not point MX at an IP address or proxy mail records through a web CDN.
TXT Records Carry Policies
TXT records support SPF, DKIM, DMARC and service verification. Publish only one SPF record and preserve long values exactly. Record the current TTL and old value before editing, then query the authoritative nameservers and test the affected service after propagation.
