DNS Records Introduction: A Beginner's Guide

When you enter a URL or website address, "www.example.com," in a browser, your computer needs to know where it needs to go. This is where your DNS records play an important role.

This article walks you through the basics of DNS records, explains the most common types, and how and where to manage them in your Bluehost account.

• Understanding DNS
• What are DNS Records?
• Common DNS Record Types
• DNS Key Terms
• How to Update DNS Records in Bluehost
• DNS Record Update Timeline
• Summary

Understanding DNS

The Domain Name System, or DNS, functions like a phonebook of the Internet. It is challenging to remember a complex series of numbers, known as IP addresses, to view a website all the time. However, DNS records allow you to use easy-to-remember domain names instead. Behind the scenes, it is the DNS records that connect your domain to the correct web server or email service.

For example:

• In a browser, you type "www.example.com."
• The DNS translates "www.example.com" to 192.1.23.456.
• Your browser connects to that IP address and then loads the website.

What are DNS Records?

The DNS records serve as instructions for the DNS server, helping it understand the connection between domain names and their corresponding IP addresses. Each type of DNS record has a specific purpose, which includes:

• Pointing your domain to a website.
• Connecting you to your emails.
• Verifying ownership (for domains, emails, or other hosting services).

Common DNS Record Types

Here are some common DNS record types you may encounter when setting up your domain, email, or website.

DNS Record Type	Description	Examples
A Record	The Address record (A), also known as a host record, points to an IP address's domain name or subdomain. Usually, the domain owners assign IP addresses to a specific function, such as their domain, subdomain, email, etc., allowing them to connect it from a specific server.	yourdomain.tld points to 12.345.678.90   mail.yourdomain.tld to 12.345.678.90
CNAME	The Canonical Name (CNAME) record points the subdomain to another domain or another subdomain.	www.example.com to example.com imap.example.com to mail.example.com docs.example.com to ghs.google.com The first record (a) allows the domain (example.com) to resolve the same server with the www subdomain. The second record (b) allows you to use an alternative subdomain for email hosting and delivery. The third record (c) allows you to use the docs.example.com subdomain to ghs.google.com with Google Workspace, where you can use Google's document management system. This type of record requires additional configuration and verification with Google.
MX Record	A Mail Exchanger (MX) directs email to a particular mail server(s) that has a priority, which of them will be used if the other one fails to receive the email.	[email protected] Hostname: mail MX record: mail.yourdomain.ext IP address: 12.345.678.90
TXT Record	A Text (TXT) record is human-readable text that is used for email verification and authentication. These records are dynamic and can be used for several purposes, such as verification, authentication, etc. The TXT Value is what the record 'points to,' but these records aren't used to direct any traffic. Instead, they're used to provide needed information to outside sources.	The TXT records used for email security and deliverability include: SPF record DKIM record DMARC record
SRV Record	A Service (SRV) record points one domain to another domain name using a specific destination port. SRV records allow specific services, such as VOIP or IM, to be directed to a separate location.	Enabling your domain to use Google's xmpp server is a good example to showcase. Google's help article states that the SRV record should be in this format: _xmpp-server._tcp.gmail.com. IN SRV 5 0 5269 xmpp-server.l.google.com Under "Add DNS Record," you will need to enter the settings this way: Service: _xmpp-server Protocol: _tcp Host: chat (If you want to use the chat subdomain. Replace this with the subdomain that you want to use, or @ for the root domain.) TTL: 14400 Type: SRV Priority: 5 Weight: 0 Port: 5269 Points To: xmpp-server.l.google.com
AAAA Record	The AAAA record is similar to the A record, but it allows you to point the domain to an IPv6 address. More information on IPv6 can be found at http://ipv6.com. Please note that at this time, Bluehost does not support AAAA (IPv6).	-

DNS Key Terms

You may come across various terms related to DNS records. Below is a brief explanation of each.

Zone File	This is where all the DNS records are stored for a domain.
Hostname/Host Record	This is the domain or subdomain you wish to use. The @ symbol is used to indicate the root domain itself. In our example, the Host Record 'ftp' would be for the subdomain ftp.google.com, and '@' would be google.com itself.
Points to	This is the destination server to which the domain or subdomain is sending the traffic.
TTL	The 'time to live' value indicates the amount of time the record is cached by a DNS Server, such as your Internet service provider. The default (and lowest accepted) value is 14400 seconds (4 hours). You do not normally need to modify this value.
Action	This allows you to modify or remove existing records.
Weight	This is similar to priority, as it controls the order in which multiple records are used. Records are grouped with other records that have the same Priority value. As with MX Entries, lower numbers are used before higher numbers.
Port	This is used by the server or computer to process traffic to specific services, ensuring that all traffic comes through the door that it's expected.
Target	This is the destination to which the record is sending traffic.

How to Update DNS Records in Bluehost

There are several ways to update your DNS records. For domains pointing to your Bluehost account, you can update your DNS records within your Account Manager. Please refer to our DNS Management article for instructions on updating your DNS records.

DNS Record Update Timeline

You may ask, "How long does it take for my DNS record updates to appear?" or "How long does DNS propagation take?

DNS propagation refers to the time it takes for changes to the DNS records to be updated and reflected across the Internet. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to up to 45 hours, depending on factors such as the TTL (time to live) settings of the DNS record and how quickly various DNS servers refresh their caches. During this period, some users may see their old records, while others can see the updated information.

Summary

This article explains what DNS records are, outlines the most common types—including A, CNAME, MX, TXT, and SRV records—and provides an overview of some DNS terms. It also highlights the importance of backing up your DNS records before canceling your hosting services. Finally, learn how DNS propagation works and where and what to expect when updating your DNS records.