DNS explained simply
How a domain name finds your website and email.
On this page
DNS is the internet's address book. Computers find each other by IP address (like 203.0.113.10); DNS translates your domain name into those addresses.
The pieces
- Nameservers decide *where* your domain's records are kept. They're set at the registrar.
- Records are the entries themselves: where the website is, where email goes, and so on.
Common records
| Record | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | Points a name to an IPv4 address | example.com → 203.0.113.10 |
| AAAA | Points a name to an IPv6 address | |
| CNAME | Makes one name an alias of another | www → example.com |
| MX | Says which server receives your email | |
| TXT | Holds text, used for SPF, DKIM, DMARC and site verification |
Changes to DNS take time to reach everyone, from minutes up to a day or two. Check progress with our DNS checker.
Learn more in the DNS basics guide and the free Domain names course.