DNS Records Explained: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX and TXT

A website can work while its email fails because DNS does several different jobs. Before replacing a record, identify which service it controls. A tidy-looking DNS zone is less important than preserving every entry your business still needs.

Match the record to its purpose

An A record points a hostname to an IPv4 address; AAAA does the same for IPv6. A CNAME points a hostname to another hostname, rather than directly to an IP address. Check your provider's rules for the zone apex before trying to place a CNAME there: ordinary CNAME records cannot coexist with other records at the same name.

MX records identify mail servers and use priority values; lower numbers are preferred. TXT records hold text used by services such as domain verification and email authentication. NS records identify authoritative nameservers. Changing an A record moves a website destination; changing nameservers can affect the entire DNS zone.

Read the name as well as the value

The name field may represent the root domain, www or a service-specific subdomain. Some panels append the domain automatically. Confirm the resulting full hostname rather than pasting the same text into every provider's interface.

For a hypothetical migration, a new web server might require an A update while existing MX and email TXT entries remain unchanged. If an old AAAA record still directs IPv6 visitors elsewhere, some customers may see the previous website even after the A record is correct.

Use a small change checklist

- Export or copy the existing zone before editing. - Record the intended hostname, type, value and TTL. - Check both authoritative answers and a separate resolver. - Test website access and email independently.

Do not copy example IP addresses from tutorials into a live zone. Use the values issued for your own account. When connecting OrienHost web hosting, keep email and third-party verification records in your migration notes so a website change does not become an unrelated service outage.