DNS records explained: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX and TXT

Open your domain's DNS panel and you'll see a table of records with cryptic types. You don't need all of them, and you don't need to be a network engineer. Five record types cover almost everything most sites and servers require. Here's each one, in plain terms, with examples.

A record — name to IPv4

The A record is the workhorse. It maps a name to an IPv4 address, which is how you point a domain at a server.

Type: A
Name: @
Value: 203.0.113.10
TTL: 3600

Here @ means the root domain (example.com itself). To point your site at a VPS, this is the record you set — value equals your server's public IP.

AAAA record — name to IPv6

An AAAA record does the same job as an A record, but for IPv6 addresses (the newer, much larger address space).

Type: AAAA
Name: @
Value: 2001:db8::1
TTL: 3600

If your server has an IPv6 address, add an AAAA record alongside your A record so IPv6-capable visitors reach you directly.

CNAME record — name to another name

A CNAME points one name at *another name* rather than an IP. It's an alias. The classic use is sending www to your root domain:

Type: CNAME
Name: www
Value: example.com
TTL: 3600

Important rule: you can't put a CNAME on the root domain (@) alongside other records. CNAMEs are for subdomains like www, blog or app.

MX record — where email goes

MX (Mail eXchange) records tell the world which servers handle email for your domain. They include a priority number — lower numbers are tried first.

Type: MX
Name: @
Value: 10 mail.example.com
TTL: 3600

If you use a hosted email provider, they'll give you the exact MX values to paste in. Without correct MX records, mail to your domain bounces.

TXT record — arbitrary text

A TXT record holds plain text, and it's used for verification and email security. You'll meet it constantly:

Type: TXT
Name: @
Value: "v=spf1 include:_spf.example.com ~all"
TTL: 3600

Common uses include SPF (which servers may send mail as you), DKIM (a signing key for your mail), DMARC (a policy for handling spoofed mail), and domain-ownership verification for services like search consoles.

A couple of others you'll occasionally see

• NS records — declare the authoritative nameservers for the domain or a subdomain.
• SRV records — specify the host and port for particular services (some game servers and voice apps use these).
• CAA records — restrict which certificate authorities may issue SSL certificates for your domain.

Reading a zone at a glance

Once you know the types, a DNS zone reads like a simple table: A and AAAA send visitors to your server, CNAME creates aliases, MX routes mail, and TXT proves ownership and secures email. That's 95% of what you'll ever touch.

In your Nxeon dashboard, these records sit right beside the server they point to — add an A record for the root, a CNAME for www, and your TXT records for email, all in one place, then let propagation do the rest.