Understanding Domain Names and DNS Records

Overview

Your domain name is the address people use to find your website.

For example:

example.com

Behind that simple address is a system called DNS, or the Domain Name System, which tells computers where your website, email, and other services are located.

You don't need to be an expert in DNS to manage your hosting account, but understanding the basics can make common domain and hosting tasks much easier.

What Is a Domain Name?

A domain name is the human-friendly address used to access a website or other internet service.

For example:

example.com

A domain name is made up of several parts.

For:

www.example.com

• www is a subdomain.

• example is the domain name.

• .com is the top-level domain, or TLD.

Other common TLDs include:

• .net

• .org

• .us

• .info

• .co

There are also many newer domain extensions available.

Your Domain and Your Hosting Account Are Different

It's important to understand that your domain and your hosting account are two separate things.

Your domain is the address people use to find you.

Your hosting account provides the server where your website and related services can operate.

You can purchase a domain from one company and host the website with another.

For example:

Domain registrar → Company A

Web hosting → Have Freedom Hosting

DNS connects the two.

What Is DNS?

DNS stands for Domain Name System.

DNS translates domain names into information that computers and internet services can use.

A simplified example is:

example.com

↓

DNS

↓

Hosting server

↓

Website

DNS can also direct different services to different destinations.

For example:

Website → Have Freedom Hosting

Email → Email provider

Other service → Another provider

This is why DNS is so important when managing a domain.

What Is a DNS Record?

A DNS record is an individual instruction associated with your domain.

Different types of records perform different jobs.

Some of the most common are:

• A

• AAAA

• CNAME

• MX

• TXT

You don't normally need to change all of these yourself. Most hosting setups only require occasional DNS changes when you're connecting a service or verifying a domain.

A Records

An A record points a domain or hostname to an IPv4 address.

For example:

example.com → 203.0.113.25

A records are commonly used to direct websites to a hosting server.

You may need to change an A record when moving a website to a different hosting provider.

AAAA Records

An AAAA record is similar to an A record, but it points to an IPv6 address.

For example:

example.com → 2001:db8::1

If your website or service uses IPv6, an AAAA record may be required in addition to an A record.

CNAME Records

A CNAME record points one hostname to another hostname.

For example:

www.example.com → example.com

CNAME records are also commonly used when connecting subdomains to third-party services.

MX Records

MX records control where email for your domain is delivered.

For example:

example.com → mail.example.com

If you use email with your domain, your MX records are important.

Changing or deleting them without understanding what they do can interrupt email delivery.

Be especially careful with MX records when changing DNS. Your website can continue working while your email stops working if the mail-related records are incorrect.

TXT Records

TXT records contain text-based information associated with your domain.

They are commonly used for:

• Domain verification

• Email authentication

• SPF

• DKIM-related configuration

• Security services

• Third-party service verification

TXT records can contain long or complicated values. That's normal.

Don't delete an unfamiliar TXT record simply because you don't recognize it.

What Is a Subdomain?

A subdomain is a separate hostname under your primary domain.

For example:

blog.example.com

shop.example.com

support.example.com

The main domain is:

example.com

The additional name before it is the subdomain.

Subdomains can be used for separate websites, applications, services, or sections of a website.

How a subdomain works depends on how it is configured in your hosting account and DNS.

Nameservers vs. DNS Records

These terms are related, but they're not the same thing.

Nameservers

Nameservers tell the internet where your domain's DNS is managed.

DNS Records

DNS records tell the internet what your domain and its individual services should point to.

For example:

Domain

↓

Nameservers

↓

DNS Records

↓

Website / Email / Other Services

If you change nameservers, you may be changing the provider responsible for all of your domain's DNS.

If you change an individual DNS record, you're normally changing one specific part of the domain's configuration.

Where Do I Manage My DNS?

Your DNS is managed wherever your domain's nameservers point.

Depending on your setup, that could be:

• Have Freedom Hosting

• Your domain registrar

• A third-party DNS provider

• Another hosting or website service

If you're unsure where your DNS is currently managed, check the nameservers assigned to your domain.

DNS Changes Don't Always Happen Immediately

DNS information is cached throughout the internet.

When you make a change, some visitors may continue receiving the old information temporarily.

This is commonly called DNS propagation.

You might see situations such as:

• Your new website works for you but not someone else.

• Your old website is still appearing.

• Email works from one location but not another.

• A DNS checker shows different results at different times.

This doesn't necessarily mean the configuration is wrong.

Before Changing DNS

Before making significant DNS changes, consider what your domain is currently being used for.

Check whether you have:

• A website

• Email

• Subdomains

• Domain verification records

• Third-party applications

• Security services

• Other services connected to the domain

If possible, keep a copy of your existing DNS records before making major changes.

This makes it much easier to restore something if a change causes an unexpected problem.

A Simple Example

Suppose you own:

example.com

You might have DNS records that look conceptually like this:

example.com       → Website
www.example.com   → Website
mail.example.com  → Email
example.com       → Email configuration

Each record serves a different purpose.

Your website, email, and other services can all use the same domain without necessarily being hosted in the same place.

When Should I Change a DNS Record?

You may need to change DNS when:

• Moving your website

• Connecting a new hosting provider

• Setting up email

• Adding a subdomain

• Verifying ownership of a service

• Connecting a third-party application

• Following instructions from a service provider

If a service tells you to create a specific DNS record, follow the instructions they provide carefully.

The required value depends on the service you're connecting.

Don't Guess DNS Values

DNS records are specific to your domain and the service you're configuring.

Don't copy a random IP address, hostname, or DNS value from an unrelated website or example.

If Have Freedom Hosting provides a specific DNS value for your hosting account, use the value provided for your account.

Likewise, if another service gives you a specific record to add for verification or configuration, use the value they provide.

If You Make a Mistake

Don't panic.

If a DNS change causes a problem, first determine what changed.

If you know what you changed, write down:

• The domain

• The record you changed

• The old value, if you have it

• The new value

• When you made the change

• What stopped working

This information can make troubleshooting much easier.

If you're unsure what needs to be changed, contact Have Freedom Hosting Support before making additional changes.

Need Help?

DNS can look intimidating when you first encounter it, but most customers only need to make a few changes during the normal life of a website.

If you're unsure what a DNS record does or where a domain should point, we're happy to help.

When contacting Have Freedom Hosting Support, tell us what you're trying to accomplish rather than simply saying that you need to "fix DNS."

For example:

"I'm moving my website to Have Freedom Hosting but keeping my email with my current provider."

That gives us much more information about what you're trying to accomplish and helps us point you in the right direction.