📖 DNS Record Type Reference

A quick reference for the most common DNS record types — what each one is for, and an example of its syntax. Filter by name to jump to a record type.

How to read the example syntax

Every example is one zone-file line, in the order owner name, type, then the data for that type. The trailing dot matters: example.com. is absolute, while example.com without it gets the zone name appended again. Some types put extra numbers before the target, and they are not optional:

example.com.        MX   10 mail.example.com.      ; 10 = priority
_sip._tcp.example.com.  SRV  10 60 5060 sip.example.com.  ; priority weight port

The filter box matches the type name or the description, so typing mail finds MX and typing certificate finds CAA and TLSA. All fourteen types are held in the page - nothing is looked up.

The restriction that catches everyone

A CNAME cannot sit beside any other record at the same name. Your apex, example.com, must carry SOA and NS records, so a CNAME there is invalid - which is why www can be a CNAME but the bare domain cannot. Providers work around it with ALIAS, ANAME or CNAME flattening, which resolves the target and serves a real A record.

SPF has no record type of its own. The old SPF type was retired in 2014; put v=spf1 in a TXT record, and only one per domain.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put a CNAME on my root domain?

Not in standard DNS. The apex already holds SOA and NS records, and a CNAME may not coexist with them. Use an A record, or your provider's ALIAS/ANAME flattening if the target is a changing IP.

What is the difference between an A and an AAAA record?

Address family only. A holds a 32-bit IPv4 address like 93.184.216.34; AAAA holds a 128-bit IPv6 address. A name can have both, and clients pick whichever they can reach.

Which record type do I use to verify a domain?

Almost always TXT. Google, Microsoft and most SaaS providers hand you a token string to publish as a TXT record on the apex or on a _something subdomain.