Complete guide to all DNS record types. Learn what each record does, see examples, and look them up instantly.
Maps a domain name to an IPv4 address (e.g., 93.184.216.34)
Maps a domain name to an IPv6 address (e.g., 2606:2800:220:1::)
Specifies mail servers responsible for receiving email for a domain
Stores text data — used for SPF, DKIM, domain verification, and more
Creates an alias from one domain name to another (canonical name)
Specifies authoritative nameservers for a domain or subdomain
Start of Authority — contains zone administration information
Certificate Authority Authorization — controls which CAs can issue SSL certs
Delegation Name — redirects an entire subtree of the domain name tree
Sender Policy Framework — authorizes which servers can send email for your domain
DomainKeys Identified Mail — cryptographic email signatures to verify sender
Domain-based Message Authentication — policy for handling failed SPF/DKIM
Brand Indicators for Message Identification — display your logo in email clients
Contains the public signing key used to verify DNSSEC signatures
Delegation Signer — establishes chain of trust between parent and child zones
Resource Record Signature — cryptographic signature for DNS record sets
Next Secure — provides authenticated denial of existence
Next Secure v3 — hashed denial of existence (prevents zone enumeration)
NSEC3 Parameters — defines hash algorithm and iterations for NSEC3
Child DS — used for automated DNSSEC delegation updates
Child DNSKEY — used for automated DNSSEC key rollovers
Zone Message Digest — cryptographic hash of the entire DNS zone
Service — specifies location of services (host, port, priority, weight)
HTTPS Service Binding — optimizes HTTPS connections with parameters
Service Binding — general-purpose service endpoint discovery
Uniform Resource Identifier — maps hostnames to URIs
Naming Authority Pointer — enables dynamic URI rewriting rules
Pointer — reverse DNS lookup, maps IP addresses back to hostnames
TLS Authentication — binds TLS certificates to DNS names (DANE)
SSH Fingerprint — publishes SSH host key fingerprints in DNS
IPsec Key — stores public keys for IPsec authentication
OpenPGP Public Key — publishes PGP keys for email encryption
S/MIME Certificate Association — binds S/MIME certs to email addresses
Location — stores geographic coordinates (latitude, longitude, altitude)
Address Prefix List — specifies lists of address ranges
Host Identity Protocol — separates host identity from location
Child Synchronization — signals parent zone to update child records
DNS (Domain Name System) uses different record types to store various kinds of information. When you type a domain name in your browser, DNS resolvers query these records to find the right server to connect to. Each record type serves a specific purpose:
Click on any record type above to learn more about its purpose, syntax, examples, and best practices. Each guide includes a direct link to our DNS Record Finder tool to look up that specific record type.
DNS record types are different categories of data stored in the Domain Name System. Each type serves a specific purpose: A records map domains to IPv4 addresses, MX records specify mail servers, TXT records store text data like SPF and DKIM, CNAME records create aliases, and many more. There are over 30 different DNS record types defined in various RFCs.
The most common DNS record types are: A (IPv4 address), AAAA (IPv6 address), MX (mail server), TXT (text data including SPF/DKIM/DMARC), CNAME (alias), NS (nameserver), and SOA (zone authority). These records handle the majority of DNS queries for websites and email.
For email, you need: MX records (to specify mail servers), SPF records (stored in TXT, to authorize sending servers), DKIM records (stored in TXT, for email signatures), and DMARC records (stored in TXT, for authentication policy). These records work together to ensure email deliverability and prevent spoofing.
DNSSEC (DNS Security Extensions) records add cryptographic security to DNS. Key types include: DNSKEY (public signing keys), DS (delegation signer for chain of trust), RRSIG (cryptographic signatures), NSEC/NSEC3 (authenticated denial of existence), and CDS/CDNSKEY (for automated key management). DNSSEC prevents DNS spoofing and cache poisoning attacks.
Use DNSai's DNS Record Finder tool. Enter your domain, select the specific record type from the dropdown (A, MX, TXT, DKIM, etc.), choose your DNS server, and click Lookup. You can also select "All Record Types" to query everything at once.
DNS Explorer — Run bulk DNS lookups across thousands of domains. Query any record type, export to CSV, and audit your entire domain portfolio.
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