What is a DNS record?
A DNS record is one row in the zone for a domain. Resolvers read that row when someone asks where the name should go. The row has a name, a type, a value, and a TTL, which is how long the answer may be cached.
The zone that matters is the one the nameservers publish. A screen at the registrar is the live zone only when those nameservers point at the registrar. Buying the name through domain registration does not fill in the website or mail rows for you.
Which record type does each job use?
Use the type that matches the job. An A record and a CNAME must not share the same hostname. An MX value is a hostname, never an IP address.
| Type | Value it stores | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| A | IPv4 address | The website on the bare domain or on www |
| AAAA | IPv6 address | The same host when it also has IPv6 |
| CNAME | Another hostname | An alias. Not on the zone apex, and not beside an A record |
| MX | Mail hostname and a priority | Where inbound mail is delivered |
| TXT | A text string | SPF, DKIM, DMARC, or a proof that you control the name |
| NS | Nameserver hostname | Which DNS host holds this zone |
| CAA | A certificate authority | Which authorities may issue a TLS certificate |
The www name needs its own row. Point it with an A record at the same IPv4 address as the bare domain, or with a CNAME to the bare domain, not both. A CAA record does not send visitors to a server. It names which certificate authorities may issue a TLS certificate for the domain.
- An A record stores IPv4 and an AAAA record stores IPv6.
- A CNAME stores another hostname and must not sit beside an A record.
- An MX record stores the mail host. A TXT record stores text.
- An NS record names the DNS host. A CAA record names allowed certificate authorities.
What does a DNS TXT record store?
A TXT record stores a string. Mail hosts read an SPF string to see which servers may send as the domain, a DKIM string to check a signature, and a DMARC string to see what to do when those checks fail. In the panel each of those is still a TXT row.
Google Workspace, including setup screens that still say G Suite, shows a DKIM value to paste. The host is often a name such as google._domainkey, and the type is TXT. Copy the host and the value the console shows. Do not save that long string as an A record.
Other products ask for a short TXT row to prove you control the domain. The string is public to anyone who queries DNS. Do not put a password or an API secret in it.
Where do you find the DNS records?
Read the NS records first. They name the DNS host that holds the zone. Open that host's DNS screen. On cPanel the screen is Zone Editor. If the nameservers belong to the registrar, the rows are in the registrar account, not in a hosting panel the nameservers no longer use.
A public lookup shows what resolvers answer now. Use it to check the live DNS records and see whether the panel and the internet agree. A browser can still show the old site after that lookup is already new.
1.1.1.1 is a public resolver from Cloudflare. 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 are Google Public DNS. Choosing either on a laptop does not add or change a record in your zone.
When a WebJi® domain uses WebJi® nameservers, the zone is edited with that domain in the client area. Email support@webji.services if the DNS screen is missing. The office phone is not the support line for a zone edit.
How do you update a DNS record?
Update the row in the zone the live nameservers use. A save in any other panel does not change what the internet reads. If the whole DNS host must move, change nameservers instead of editing rows the old host will stop serving.
Stop when a fresh query returns the new value. Until then, keep the old rows you wrote down.
- Write down the A record for the bare domain and for www, plus every MX and TXT row, before you change anything.
- Open Zone Editor on cPanel, or the registrar DNS screen when that host is authoritative. Select the domain.
- Edit the row or add one. Set the hostname, the type, and the value. Leave TTL on the default unless a move is planned for the next day.
- Save. Do not delete the only A record on the bare domain, and do not remove MX rows while you add a TXT record.
- Query that name and type from a network that did not just load the site. The save worked when the answer matches the new value.
How long until a DNS change shows up?
TTL is the cache timer, in seconds. A value of 3600 lets a resolver keep the old answer for an hour. People who looked up the name before you saved can keep the old target until that timer ends. You cannot clear every network cache.
The change has worked when a fresh query returns the new value. A browser that still shows the old site is not proof the zone is wrong. Lower the TTL a day before a planned cutover, make the edit, then raise it after the new answer is the one you wanted.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are DNS records?
A DNS record is one instruction in the zone for a domain. It can send the website to an IP address, send mail to a hostname, alias one name to another, or store text such as SPF. The nameservers decide which copy of that zone the internet reads.
What is the difference between an A record and a CNAME?
An A record stores an IPv4 address. A CNAME stores another hostname, and the lookup then follows that name. Use an A record on the bare domain. Use a CNAME for an alias such as www only when that name has no other record on it.
What is a DNS TXT record used for?
It stores text. Mail uses TXT rows for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Google Workspace and other services also give you a TXT value to prove you control the domain. Anyone can query it, so do not put a password in the value.
Where do I find my DNS records?
Open the DNS zone at the host your NS records name. On cPanel that screen is Zone Editor. A public lookup shows what resolvers return now, which can lag the panel until the TTL expires.
How do I update DNS records?
Edit the row in that same zone, save, and query it from outside your browser. Changing nameservers is a different job: it moves the whole zone to another DNS host. Do not delete the bare-domain A record or the MX rows while you add a TXT record.
How long does a DNS record change take?
It follows the TTL already cached, often minutes to a few hours, and sometimes up to 48 hours when the old TTL was long. The panel can show the new value at once. Other networks update when their cached copy expires.