An A record maps a hostname directly to an IPv4 address (example.com A 203.0.113.42). A CNAME maps a hostname to another hostname (www.example.com CNAME example.com). Practical differences: (1) CNAMEs are aliases — the resolver follows the chain until it finds an A record. (2) CNAMEs cannot exist at the root domain per RFC 1035 (example.com cannot be a CNAME, but www.example.com can). Cloudflare and Route 53 offer ‘CNAME flattening’ or ‘ALIAS’ records that work at the root by resolving the CNAME internally and serving A records. Look up records with the DNS query tool.
All questions
What is the difference between an A record and a CNAME?
Read the full guide
DNS Record Types Explained
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.