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DNS Record Types Reference

Searchable reference of DNS record types and what each one does.

A

Maps a hostname to an IPv4 address.

AAAA

Maps a hostname to an IPv6 address.

CNAME

Aliases one name to another canonical name.

MX

Directs email to the responsible mail servers.

TXT

Holds arbitrary text, used for SPF, DKIM and verification.

NS

Delegates a zone to authoritative name servers.

SOA

Start of authority: zone metadata and serial number.

SRV

Locates services by protocol and port.

PTR

Reverse lookup mapping an IP back to a hostname.

CAA

Specifies which certificate authorities may issue certs.

NAPTR

Rule-based rewriting used in ENUM and SIP.

DS

Delegation signer linking DNSSEC-signed child zones.

DNSKEY

Public key used to verify DNSSEC signatures.

TLSA

Associates a TLS certificate with a name (DANE).

SPF

Legacy sender policy record (now usually TXT).

Search DNS record types to quickly recall what A, MX, TXT and other records are for.

How to use

  1. Type a record type or keyword.
  2. Scan the filtered results.
  3. Read what each DNS record type does.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between A and CNAME?
An A record points a name directly to an IP address, while a CNAME points a name to another name that is then resolved.
Why use TXT records?
TXT records store text data used by email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and domain ownership verification.

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