Q & A DNS Records · August 20, 2026

What is the difference between A and CNAME records?

An A record maps a hostname directly to an IPv4 address (e.g., example.com → 93.184.216.34). A CNAME record maps a hostname to another hostname (e.g., www.example.com → example.com), which is then resolved via its own A record. CNAMEs can’t be used at the root/apex of a domain (@ / example.com) — only A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, and SOA are allowed there. Use CNAME for subdomains pointing to CDNs or SaaS platforms.

Read the full guide

DNS Record Types Explained: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, and More

DNS records are the building blocks of how the internet resolves domain names to servers. Each record type has a specific job: routing web traffic, delivering email, proving domain ownership, or preventing spoofing.