DNS Record Types Explained
Whenever we type a website in browser, somehow it knows where to go. We just write a domain name and boom, website loads. But behind the scenes, there are multiple DNS records working together to make this happen.
In this blog, I will share my understanding of DNS record types what they are, why we need them and how they all work together for a real website.
What is DNS
DNS is the phonebook of the internet.
Humans remember names like google.com, youtube.com. But computers don’t understand names. They understand IP addresses like 172.217.23.206
So DNS is the system that converts domain names into IP addresses.
Why DNS records are needed
DNS records are the actual instructions stored in DNS that tell the internet what to do with your domain.
Without DNS records your domain is just a name with no meaning. DNS records tell things like:
Where your website server is
Which server handles your email
Who controls DNS for your domain
Extra verification info for services
So DNS records are like different types of notes in the phonebook that explain how your domain should work.
What an NS Record is
NS record means Name Server record.
NS record tells which DNS servers are responsible for your domain. In simple words, it tells who is in charge of DNS for your domain.
When you buy a domain, your domain provider gives you default name servers. But you can change them to use another DNS provider like Cloudflare.
So NS records are like: This company handles DNS for this domain.
If NS records are wrong nothing else will work website, email everything breaks.
What an A Record is
A record is the most common DNS record.
A record maps a domain name to an IPv4 address.
So it tells: domain name → server IP address
So when browser asks for a domain, DNS looks at A record and gives back the IPv4 address of the server where website is hosted.
You can think A record like: Name → House address
What an AAAA Record is
AAAA record is similar to A record, but for IPv6.
It maps a domain name to an IPv6 address instead of IPv4.
So: domain name → IPv6 address
Most of the time we only see A records, but AAAA is for newer IP format.
So: A = IPv4, AAAA = IPv6
Same job, different IP version.
What a CNAME Record is
CNAME means Canonical Name.
CNAME record does not point to an IP address. It points to another domain name.
So instead of: name → IP
It is: name → another name
Example from my setup:
I use Hashnode for blogs. Hashnode gave me this hostname:
hashnode.network
So I created a CNAME record:
blog.dhiraj.dev → hashnode.network
So when someone opens blog.dhiraj.dev, DNS says: “Go to hashnode.network and use whatever IP it has.”
So CNAME is useful when you don’t control the IP and the service manages it for you.
You can think CNAME like: Nickname → Real name
What an MX Record is
MX record means Mail Exchange record.
MX records tell where emails for your domain should be delivered.
When someone sends email to: contact@dhiraj.dev
Mail servers use MX records to find which mail server should receive that email.
So MX record is not for website. It is for email.
So: Website traffic → A / CNAME, Email traffic → MX
What a TXT Record is
TXT record is used to store extra text information for a domain.
TXT records are commonly used for:
Domain ownership verification
Email security (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
Connecting third party services
Most of the time, services tell you: “Add this TXT record to verify your domain.”
So TXT record is like a note that proves you own the domain or enables some feature.
Common confusion
A vs CNAME
A record points to an IP address
CNAME points to another domain name
If you have server IP → use A, If service gives you hostname → use CNAME
NS vs MX
NS record decides who manages DNS
MX record decides where email goes
NS is for DNS control. MX is only for email delivery.
How all DNS records work together for one website
Here is how all DNS records work together using my real setup, so it’s easier to understand.
I purchased dhiraj.dev from Hostinger (domain provider).
At first Hostinger was managing the DNS because they were the domain provider. But I wanted to use Cloudflare for DNS management, security and better control.
So I updated the NS records to Cloudflare.
This means now Cloudflare became the authoritative DNS for my domain. From this point, Cloudflare is responsible for all DNS records of dhiraj.dev.
So now flow looks like this: dhiraj.dev → NS records → Cloudflare
Now for my main website.
My website is hosted on Vercel. Vercel gave me a DNS record (A record), which points to their server IP.
So in Cloudflare DNS dashboard, I added that A record.
So now: dhiraj.dev → A record → Vercel server IP
This is how my main website loads. Browser uses DNS, gets the IP from A record, and connects to Vercel server.
Now for blog.dhiraj.dev
I’m using Hashnode for blogs. Hashnode gave me this hostname:
hashnode.network
Hashnode does not give a fixed IP. They manage their own servers and IPs. So instead of A record, they tell to use a CNAME.
So I added a CNAME record in Cloudflare DNS:
blog.dhiraj.dev → hashnode.network
This means: blog.dhiraj.dev is just another name for hashnode.network
So when someone opens blog.dhiraj.dev, DNS says: “Go to hashnode.network and use whatever IP it currently has.”
So now for my domain, multiple DNS records are working together:
NS records → Point domain to Cloudflare (who manages DNS)
A record → Point main website to Vercel
CNAME record → Point blog subdomain to Hashnode
MX records → tell where emails should go
TXT records → Used for verification and email security
So one single domain is not just one record. It is a combination of multiple DNS records that make website, blog and email all work together.
This is how DNS records connect different services under one domain and make everything work smoothly.
