What is DNS?
DNS (Domain Name System) is often called the "phonebook of the internet." Humans access information online through domain names like ypsilon.host, while web browsers interact via Internet Protocol (IP) addresses like 192.168.1.1.
DNS translates those readable domain names into IP addresses so browsers can load internet resources. When you manage a domain, you use various DNS Records to tell the internet exactly where different services (like your website, your email, or your subdomains) live on the server level.
Common DNS Record Types
| Record Type | What it stands for | What it actually does |
|---|---|---|
| A | Address (IPv4) | The most fundamental record. It points your domain name strictly to an IPv4 address (e.g., 142.250.190.46). If someone types your domain, the A Record tells them which exact server holds your website files. |
| AAAA | Address (IPv6) | Exactly the same as an A record, but it points to the newer, longer IPv6 address format (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334). This is necessary because the world has run out of old IPv4 addresses! |
| CNAME | Canonical Name | Instead of pointing to an IP address, a CNAME points a subdomain to another domain name. For example, if you want shop.yoursite.com to point to your Shopify store, you use a CNAME pointing to shops.myshopify.com. Note: You cannot place a CNAME on the root domain (yoursite.com), only on subdomains! |
| TXT | Text | A multi-purpose record that lets you attach raw text notes to a domain. It's heavily used today for security and ownership verification (like proving to Google that you own the domain) and for Email anti-spam protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. |
| MX | Mail Exchanger | Dictates where incoming emails are sent. If someone emails you@yoursite.com, the internet checks your MX record to find the mail server (like Zoho, Google Workspace, or your Plesk server). They use "Priorities" (0, 10, 20) to determine which server to try first. |
| NS | Name Server | Tells the internet which servers have the authority to manage your domain's DNS. If you buy a domain at GoDaddy but host it with Ypsilon, you change the NS records at GoDaddy to point to Ypsilon's nameservers. |
| SRV | Service | A complex record used for specifying a host and port for specific services like VoIP (Voice over IP), instant messaging, or game servers (like pointing a Minecraft server directly to a specific port on an IP address). |
