Domain Name System (DNS) records are used to translate human-readable domain names into IP addresses and provide other information about domains. There are several types of DNS records, each serving a specific purpose. Here are some of the most common types you can use with your domain:
- A (Address) Record: Maps a domain name to an IPv4 address.
- AAAA (Quad-A) Record: Maps a domain name to an IPv6 address.
- CNAME (Canonical Name) Record: Maps an alias or subdomain to another domain name, essentially creating a domain alias.
- MX (Mail Exchange) Record: Specifies the mail servers responsible for accepting email messages on behalf of a domain.
- NS (Name Server) Record: Indicates the authoritative name servers for a domain, which are responsible for resolving DNS queries for that domain.
- PTR (Pointer) Record: Maps an IP address to a domain name, primarily used for reverse DNS lookups.
- SRV (Service) Record: Provides information about services offered by a domain, such as the location of a specific service (e.g., SIP or XMPP) and the protocol used.
- TXT (Text) Record: Stores text information related to a domain, often used for verification purposes (e.g., SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for email authentication).
These are just some of the most common DNS record types. There are others, but these cover the majority of use cases for most domain owners may be asked to use.
