All Types of DNS Records Explained

Every Internet website starts with a domain. A domain is really just a name—like this site is called ‘Namecheap.com.’ When you bring any domain, and the name, into your ownership, a record is needed to verify that your domain has an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

This record is called a Domain Name System record, commonly known as a DNS record. After you set up this record, more types of DNS records store your domain name and all domains or subdomains you connect to. There are DNS records for all your website software services, too. DNS records help the Internet understand how to send and receive information to your website.

You can pick and choose which services to connect to your website, so everyone’s DNS records will have a slightly different DNS configuration. It’s like having a delivery system you’ve designed—after all, there’s a wide range of software available to you.

The good news is because the DNS runs according to a common set of Internet protocols, all websites (and services) have similar DNS record types you can get to know. This article will help you understand DNS records and how to set them up, and why, sometimes, you might need to change them.

For advanced users of DNS records

A quick note before we start—if you are more confident about DNS records or perhaps a Namecheap customer, you may not wish to read everything below. You might find these short technical articles the help you need to check how to adjust your DNS records.

•  Which record type should I use for the information I’m about to enter? — a summary of all record types for those who have a domain pointed to Namecheap’s BasicDNS, Free DNS, or PremiumDNS systems.
•  How can I set up an A (address) record for my domain? — instructions to set up an A record (and links to more records) from Namecheap’s side. For domains that are using our BasicDNS, PremiumDNS, or FreeDNS services.
•  How to create a CNAME record for your domain — domains using our three DNS services above can set CNAME records in their account panel, or if you are with Namecheap web hosting DNS, watch this video.

Need more than this? Then let’s begin with an explanation of the DNS.