The DNS records can look hard to understand for everybody new to DNS. This is why we decided to show you those that are the most common. Don’t worry. This article is very beginner-friendly.
A and AAAA records
Both the A (IPv4) and AAAA (IPv6) records are address records, and their purpose is to map (link) a domain name and an IP address. In the case of the A record, it maps the domain name to an IPv4 address, a 32-bit address. This address type has been around for a long time, and one day it will be completely replaced by the newer AAAA record. The AAAA record maps a domain name to an IPv6 address, a 128-bit address. The newer format is superior, but still, both are in use, and you can see both A and AAAA records for the same domain name. These are the first DNS records that you should learn.
What is SRV record and why is it important?
NS record
Next on the list of DNS records is the NS record. NS means name server, so this record will show the name servers of a domain name. You can have multiple NS records if your hosting provider offers more than one NS server. The same goes if you are using a Managed DNS service with multiple servers. The important thing to note here is that you must update your NS records each time you change your hosting.
CNAME record
The CNAME records can save you a lot of time. CNAME means canonical name. You can use it to indicate that one hostname is just an alias of another one. Use it for your subdomains, and you don’t need to add more records for each of them. A DNS query to a subdomain with a CNAME will redirect the query to the canonical domain, and there it will get its answer. The CNAME record saves time and makes it easy to manage a domain name.
SOA record
The SOA record is vital because it shows the start of authority. Basically, it will show you which is the authoritative name server for the domain name. In this record, you can also see valuable data about the refresh rate (zone updates) and who is in charge of the domain (DNS administrator’s contact).
MX record
The MX record is one of the most important DNS records because you can’t receive emails without it. The MX record has the information about which mail server should receive the emails going to a particular domain name. You can have multiple MX records with different priorities and TTL values for backup.
TXT record
The TXT record is a very simple text record, but you can use it for many purposes. The text inside serves to provide evidence to sources outside of the domain. Use it to verify the domain name, verify a service (Google, Microsoft, or another), as a part of an encryption process, or simply to pass a message to another of the DNS administrators.
Conclusion
These are the DNS records every beginner should know. Of course, there are many more, but you can start managing your domain with these ones.