Understanding DNS Records & How to Manage Them

What is DNS & Why Should You Care?

DNS (Domain Name System) is the internet’s phone book. When you type a website address (like example.com) into your browser, your computer doesn’t magically know where to find it. Instead, it asks the DNS system, "Hey, where can I find example.com?" and DNS responds with the correct IP address, allowing your browser to connect to the right server.

Without DNS, you'd have to memorize long, ugly IP addresses like 192.168.1.1 instead of just typing google.com. So yeah, DNS is a pretty big deal.

How DNS Works (In Simple Terms)

Think of DNS like looking up a contact in your phone. When you want to call "Mom," you don’t punch in her full number every time—you just tap her name, and your phone knows what to dial.

DNS works the same way. You enter a domain name (example.com), and DNS looks up its IP address so your browser knows where to go. This lookup process happens in milliseconds, and the results get stored (or "cached") to speed things up next time.

The Most Important DNS Records You Should Know

Now that you know what DNS is, let’s break down the most common types of records you’ll actually use. There are a lot of DNS records out there, but these four are the ones you'll deal with the most:

1. A Record (Address Record)

• What it does: Connects your domain to an IP address.

• Example: If your website is hosted at 192.168.1.1, your A record will say example.com → 192.168.1.1.

• Why it matters: Without an A record, your domain won’t load your website. It’s the foundation of your DNS setup.

2. CNAME Record (Canonical Name Record)

• What it does: Creates an alias that points one domain to another.

• Example: www.example.com → example.com

• Why it matters: Instead of setting up separate A records, a CNAME allows you to point a subdomain (like www) to another domain name, making management easier.

3. MX Record (Mail Exchange Record)

• What it does: Tells email services where to send mail for your domain.

• Example: example.com → mail server at mail.example.com

• Why it matters: Without an MX record, emails sent to you@example.com will have nowhere to go.

4. TXT Record (Text Record) – Especially SPF Records

• What it does: Stores plain text data for various verification purposes.

• Example: SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records help prevent email spoofing.

• SPF Example:

  v=spf1 include:_spf.mediagianthosting.net ~all

• Why it matters: TXT records are used for email security (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), domain verification (Google, Microsoft, etc.), and other critical settings.

Final Thoughts

Understanding DNS is essential if you want control over your website, emails, and online presence. You don’t need to be an expert, but knowing what A, CNAME, MX, and TXT records do will help you avoid breaking things when making changes.

And remember—don’t just go randomly changing DNS records unless you know what you’re doing (or you’re following a guide). Otherwise, you might take your website or emails offline without realizing it.

Need to make DNS changes? Check out our How to Edit DNS Records guide (coming soon).