Understanding DNS Records

DNS (Domain Name System) is what connects your domain name to services such as your website and email.

When someone visits your website or sends an email to your domain, DNS records help direct that traffic to the correct servers.

This guide explains the most common DNS records and what they're used for.

Common DNS Record Types

A Record

Points a domain or subdomain to an IPv4 address. This is commonly used to direct visitors to your website's hosting server.

AAAA Record

Works like an A record but uses an IPv6 address instead.

CNAME Record

Points one hostname to another hostname. For example, you might use a CNAME record to direct www.yourdomain.co.uk to your main domain.

MX Record

Specifies which mail servers receive email for your domain. If your business uses Microsoft 365 or another email provider, MX records help ensure incoming messages reach the correct service.

TXT Record

Stores text-based information associated with your domain.

TXT records are commonly used for domain ownership verification and email security settings such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC.

NS Record

Identifies the nameservers responsible for your domain's DNS records.

Nameservers determine where DNS information for your domain is managed.

CAA Record

Specifies which certificate authorities are permitted to issue SSL certificates for your domain.

What is DNS Propagation?

When you change a DNS record, the update may not appear everywhere immediately.

This is commonly called DNS propagation, although the delay is usually caused by DNS caching.

Changes often become visible within a few minutes or hours, but some can take up to 24–48 hours.

How to Manage Your DNS Records

If your domain uses our hosting DNS service, you can manage its records through our control panel.

1: Sign in to our hosting control panel.
2: Open the relevant website.
3: Select Domains.
4: Navigate to the DNS records section.
5: View, add, edit or remove records as required. Changes are automatically saved.

If your domain uses nameservers from another provider, you'll need to manage its DNS records with that provider instead.

Important: Be Careful When Changing DNS

Incorrect DNS settings can cause your website to become unavailable or prevent email from being delivered.

Before making changes, we recommend keeping a copy of your existing records.

If you're unsure what a record does, it's best to check with us before changing it.

Need Help?

If you need assistance configuring DNS records for your website, email or another service, get in touch with our support team and we'll be happy to help.