10 common DNS record types with purpose and example values.
| Type | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | Hostname to IPv4 address | www → 93.184.216.34 |
| AAAA | Hostname to IPv6 address | www → 2606:2800:220:1:: |
| CNAME | Alias one name to another | blog → example.com |
| MX | Mail exchanger + priority | 10 mail.example.com |
| TXT | Free text: SPF, DKIM, verification | "v=spf1 include:_spf.x ~all" |
| NS | Authoritative nameservers | ns1.example.net |
| SOA | Zone authority: primary NS, serial | ns1 admin serial 2024010101 |
| PTR | Reverse lookup: IP to name | 34.216.184.93.in-addr.arpa |
| SRV | Service location: host + port | _sip._tcp → port 5060 |
| CAA | Which CAs may issue certs | 0 issue "letsencrypt.org" |
A/AAAA map names to IPs, CNAME aliases names, MX routes mail, TXT carries verification strings, NS/SOA delegate zones, PTR reverses IPs, SRV locates services, CAA restricts certificate issuance.
MX 10 mail.example.com → mail routes to that host.A points a name at an IP; CNAME points a name at another name. CNAME cannot sit at the zone apex.
MX for routing plus TXT (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) for authentication.