Understand the most common DNS record types and how they keep the Internet running.
The Domain Name System (DNS) acts as the Internet's phone book. Instead of remembering IP addresses like 104.26.10.78, people can simply type findmyip.online into their browser. When you visit a website, your computer performs a DNS lookup to determine which server hosts that domain. Every DNS record has a specific purpose. Some direct web traffic, others route email, and some provide security information.
An A Record maps a hostname to an IPv4 address.
An AAAA Record performs the same job as an A Record, but for IPv6 addresses.
A CNAME (Canonical Name) record creates an alias from one hostname to another. For example, many organizations configure:
CNAME records are commonly used with cloud providers and content delivery networks (CDNs).
Mail Exchange (MX) records tell other mail servers where to deliver email for your domain.
Many organizations use Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, which provide their own MX records.
TXT records store text information associated with a domain. Today they are widely used for:
Name Server (NS) records specify which DNS servers are authoritative for your domain.
The Start of Authority (SOA) record contains administrative information about the DNS zone, including:
A PTR (Pointer) record performs a reverse DNS lookup. Instead of converting a domain name into an IP address, it converts an IP address back into a hostname. PTR records are commonly used for:
| Record | Purpose |
|---|---|
| A | Maps a hostname to an IPv4 address. |
| AAAA | Maps a hostname to an IPv6 address. |
| CNAME | Creates an alias to another hostname. |
| MX | Routes email for a domain. |
| TXT | Stores text, SPF and verification records. |
| NS | Specifies authoritative DNS servers. |
| SOA | Stores DNS zone information. |
| PTR | Maps an IP address back to a hostname. |
Use our free DNS Lookup tool to inspect A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, SOA, CNAME and PTR records for any public domain.
Need to troubleshoot DNS? Visit our Network Toolbox for free DNS lookup, WHOIS lookup, SSL certificate checks, CIDR calculations and more.