Common DNS Record Types

There are over 80 RFC-defined DNS record types. In practice, ten of them cover everything a normal site uses. Here's the working set.

The everyday records

  • A — IPv4 address for a hostname.
  • AAAA — IPv6 address for a hostname.
  • CNAME — alias for another hostname. Can't coexist with other records at the same name.
  • MX — mail server for the domain.
  • TXT — arbitrary text. Used for SPF, DMARC, domain verification.
  • NS — nameservers authoritative for the domain.
  • SOA — "start of authority" metadata: primary NS, admin email, serial, refresh intervals.
  • CAA — which CAs are allowed to issue certs for this domain.
  • SRV — service location (used by SIP, XMPP, Minecraft).
  • PTR — reverse DNS, hostname for an IP.

All ten are visible at once via DNS Lookup.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't a CNAME coexist with other records?

RFC 1034 says a CNAME at a name means “this name is just an alias for another” — so any other record at the same name would contradict that. The MX, A, TXT have to live at a different name.

What is a CAA record for?

It tells CAs “only this CA is allowed to issue certs for me.” A misissuance check — certs from other CAs should be rejected at issuance time.

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