DNS Records Explained in Plain English

What DNS Is

Computers find each other with number addresses. People would rather type names. DNS connects the two.

DNS stands for Domain Name System. Think of it as the internet's address book. When someone types your domain, DNS looks up where your website lives. When someone emails you, DNS looks up where your inbox lives.

Every domain has a small list of DNS records. Each record answers one question, like "where is the website?" or "where does the mail go?"

Where Your DNS Lives

Your DNS records live at a DNS host. This is often the same company where you bought your domain, but it does not have to be.

Nameservers decide which company answers for your domain. If your nameservers point to one company, only the records at that company count. Records at any other company are ignored.

This trips people up. They edit records in one account while the nameservers point to another. Nothing changes, and they cannot tell why.

The Records You Will See Most

A Record

An A record points a name to a server's number address. Your main website usually has one. It might point yourshop.com to your web host.

There is also an AAAA record. It does the same job for the newer, longer style of address.

CNAME Record

A CNAME record points one name at another name. For example, www.yourshop.com might point to yourshop.com. Microsoft 365 uses a CNAME called autodiscover to help Outlook set itself up.

MX Record

An MX record tells other mail servers where to deliver your email. MX stands for mail exchange. Google Workspace uses smtp.google.com as its MX value. Microsoft 365 gives you its own value in its admin center.

MX records have a priority number. Lower numbers are tried first. If the MX records are wrong, email stops arriving.

TXT Record

A TXT record holds a line of text. It sounds simple, but it does a lot of work:

• Proving you own the domain to services like Google or Microsoft.
• Listing who may send mail as you, with an SPF record that starts with v=spf1.
• Holding your DMARC policy at the name _dmarc.
• Holding DKIM keys at names that end in _domainkey.

NS Record

NS records list your nameservers. They say which company is in charge of your DNS. You usually change these at your registrar, not inside the DNS list itself.

What TTL Means

Every record has a TTL, which stands for time to live. It is a number of seconds. It tells other computers how long they may remember the record before checking again.

Microsoft's setup guide uses a TTL of 3600 seconds, which is one hour, for many records. A longer TTL means fewer lookups. A shorter TTL means changes spread faster.

Before a big move, lower the TTL a day or two ahead. After the move settles, you can raise it again.

How Fast Changes Spread

DNS changes do not reach everyone at the same moment. Computers around the world may still remember the old answer until the TTL runs out.

Google says new MX records can take up to 72 hours to be recognized. So after you change email records, check your inbox over the next few days, not just the next few minutes.

Safe Habits When Editing DNS

DNS is a small list, but one wrong edit can take down your site or email. Follow these habits:

• Take a screenshot of all your records before you change anything.
• Change one thing at a time, then test.
• Do not delete a record just because you do not know what it does. Ask first.
• Keep only one SPF record. If a new service needs to send mail, add it to the record you have.
• Write down where your DNS lives and who has the login.

A Simple Example

Here is what a small shop's DNS list might hold. There is an A record that points the main name to the web host. A CNAME points www to the main name. One or more MX records point to the email provider. Then a few TXT records hold the SPF line, the DMARC policy and proof of ownership for Google or Microsoft.

That is often the whole list. When you see it laid out like this, DNS feels much less scary.

When to Get Help

Most owners only touch DNS a few times, usually when they change email or hosting. Those are also the times when a mistake hurts most.

If you would like a hand, T3CHS can review your DNS and make changes with you. See our domains page for how we manage domains and DNS.

Common Questions

Where do I find my DNS records?

Look up which company your nameservers point to. Your records live in that company's account, often in a section called DNS or zone settings.

I changed a DNS record. Why is nothing different?

The change may still be spreading, or your nameservers may point to a different company than the one you edited. Check the nameservers first.

What does TTL mean on a DNS record?

It is how many seconds other computers may remember the record before they check again. Lower it before a move so changes spread faster.

Is it safe to delete DNS records I do not recognize?

Not without checking. Unknown TXT or CNAME records often prove ownership or keep a tool like email working.

Can my domain and DNS be at different companies?

Yes. Your nameservers decide which company answers for your DNS, even if another company holds the domain.

Sources

1. Microsoft Learn: Connect Your Domain by Adding DNS Recordslearn.microsoft.com
2. Google Workspace Admin Help: Set Up MX Recordsknowledge.workspace.google.com
3. RFC 7208: Sender Policy Frameworkrfc-editor.org
4. RFC 6376: DKIM Signaturesrfc-editor.org
5. RFC 7489: DMARCrfc-editor.org

Last reviewed September 27, 2026.