Every time you type a website address into your browser, something has to translate that human-readable name into a numeric address that computers understand. That something is the Domain Name System, or DNS. Think of it as the phonebook of the internet -- it maps domain names like example.com to the IP addresses where websites and services actually live.

DNS does not store just one piece of information per domain, though. It uses different record types to handle everything from web traffic to email delivery. Understanding these records gives you real insight into how a domain is configured and can help you troubleshoot problems faster.

The Most Common DNS Record Types

A Record -- IPv4 Address

The A record is the most fundamental DNS record. It points a domain name to an IPv4 address (the traditional four-number format like 93.184.216.34). When someone visits your website, the browser looks up the A record to find the server's IP address.

A domain can have multiple A records for load balancing.
If there is no A record, browsers cannot reach your site over IPv4.

AAAA Record -- IPv6 Address

The AAAA record works exactly like an A record, but it points to an IPv6 address instead (the newer, longer format like 2606:2800:220:1:248:1893:25c8:1946). As more of the internet moves to IPv6, having an AAAA record ensures your site is reachable on modern networks.

MX Record -- Email Routing

MX records tell the world where to deliver email for your domain. When someone sends a message to you@yourdomain.com, the sending mail server looks up your MX records to find your mail server.

MX records include a priority value. Lower numbers mean higher priority, so if the primary mail server is down, email falls back to a secondary one.
If MX records are missing or wrong, your domain will not receive email.

CNAME Record -- Aliases

A CNAME record creates an alias from one domain name to another. For example, you might point www.example.com to example.com using a CNAME, so both addresses lead to the same place.

CNAME records cannot coexist with other record types on the same name.
They are commonly used for subdomains like blog.example.com or shop.example.com that are hosted on external platforms.

TXT Record -- Verification and Security

TXT records hold free-form text and serve many purposes. The most common uses include:

SPF records -- Define which mail servers are allowed to send email on behalf of your domain. This helps prevent spoofing.
DKIM records -- Publish a public key so receiving mail servers can verify that messages were genuinely sent from your domain and have not been tampered with.
Domain verification -- Services like Google Search Console and various SaaS platforms ask you to add a specific TXT record to prove you own the domain.

TXT records are essential for email security and domain ownership verification. If you manage a domain, you will encounter them regularly.

NS Record -- Nameservers

NS records specify which servers are authoritative for your domain's DNS. These are the servers that hold and serve all of your other DNS records. When you register a domain or switch hosting providers, updating your NS records is often one of the first steps.

How to Look Up DNS Records

You do not need to be a system administrator to check DNS records. There are several easy ways to look them up:

Use our free DNS lookup tool -- Enter any domain into the DNS lookup tool to see its A, AAAA, MX, CNAME, TXT, and NS records in one place.
Run a full domain report -- The domain report gives you a broader picture that includes DNS records alongside SSL, WHOIS, and security information.
Command-line tools -- If you are comfortable with the terminal, dig (Linux/macOS) and nslookup (Windows) let you query specific record types directly. For example: dig example.com MX returns the MX records for that domain.

Common DNS Issues and How to Spot Them

Even small DNS mistakes can cause big problems. Here are the issues you are most likely to run into:

Propagation Delays

When you change a DNS record, the update does not take effect instantly. DNS propagation is the process of that change spreading across DNS servers worldwide. It can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours, depending on the TTL (Time to Live) value set on the old record. TTL tells DNS resolvers how long to cache a record before checking for updates.

Tip: Before making a change, lower the TTL to a short value (like 300 seconds) and wait for the old TTL to expire. This way, the new record will propagate faster once you make the switch.

Misconfigured MX Records

If your MX records point to the wrong server -- or are missing entirely -- your domain will silently fail to receive email. Always verify MX records after changing email providers.

Missing or Incorrect TXT Records

Forgetting to add SPF or DKIM records is one of the most common reasons legitimate email ends up in spam folders. If your emails are not being delivered, check your TXT records first.

CNAME Conflicts

A CNAME record cannot coexist with other record types at the same name. If you try to add an A record and a CNAME on the same subdomain, one of them will break. Most DNS providers will warn you, but not all of them do.

Wrapping Up

DNS records are the backbone of how your domain functions on the internet. Knowing the difference between an A record, an MX record, and a TXT record puts you in a much better position to manage your domain, troubleshoot issues, and keep your email flowing.

If you want to inspect the DNS records for any domain right now, try our free DNS lookup tool or run a full domain report to see everything at a glance.

How to Read DNS Records: A Beginner's Guide