What's the difference between URI and NAPTR records?

URI records store URIs directly without regex transformation, making them simpler. NAPTR records can rewrite URIs using regular expressions for complex routing. Use URI for static URIs and NAPTR for dynamic URI generation.

What is the URI record format?

URI records use _service._protocol.domain format like SRV records. They contain priority, weight, and the target URI. Example: _http._tcp.example.com URI 10 1 "https://www.example.com/"

What are common URI record use cases?

Common uses include CalDAV/CardDAV service discovery, FTP server locations, HTTP service endpoints, and any application where you need to publish a complete URI rather than just hostname and port.

URI Record Service

Q: What is a URI record?

A URI record publishes URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers) directly in DNS for service discovery. It's simpler than NAPTR records and allows associating complete URIs with a domain name. Defined in RFC 7553.

The URI record publishes URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers) in DNS, providing a simpler alternative to NAPTR records for service discovery. Defined in RFC 7553, URI records allow associating complete URIs with a domain name.

Look Up URI Records

Check URI records for any domain using our free DNS lookup tool.

Look Up URI Records →

What Is a URI Record?

URI records provide a straightforward way to publish URIs for services. Unlike NAPTR, which uses complex regular expressions, URI records simply store the target URI directly.

URI Record Format

Example URI Record

_ftp._tcp.example.com.    3600    IN    URI    10 1 "ftp://ftp.example.com/public"

Priority: 10, Weight: 1, Target: ftp://ftp.example.com/public

URI Record Fields

Field	Description	Example
Priority	Lower values preferred	10
Weight	Load balancing within priority	1
Target	The URI	"ftp://ftp.example.com/"

URI Record Naming

Like SRV records, URI records use a specific naming convention:

_service._protocol.domain.

Examples:

_http._tcp.example.com.    URI    10 1 "http://www.example.com/"
_ftp._tcp.example.com.     URI    10 1 "ftp://files.example.com/"
_caldav._tcp.example.com.  URI    10 1 "https://calendar.example.com/dav/"

Common URI Record Uses

Service Discovery

_http._tcp.example.com.     URI    10 1 "https://www.example.com/"
_imap._tcp.example.com.     URI    10 1 "imaps://mail.example.com/"

CalDAV/CardDAV

_caldav._tcp.example.com.   URI    10 1 "https://cal.example.com/caldav/"
_carddav._tcp.example.com.  URI    10 1 "https://card.example.com/carddav/"

Multiple Servers

_http._tcp.example.com.    URI    10 50 "https://server1.example.com/"
_http._tcp.example.com.    URI    10 50 "https://server2.example.com/"

URI vs NAPTR

Aspect	URI Record	NAPTR Record
Complexity	Simple	Complex
Regexp support	No	Yes
URI format	Direct	Generated via regexp
Use case	Static URI publishing	Dynamic rewriting

URI Record Best Practices

Use standard service names — Follow IANA service name conventions.
Include protocol in name — Use _tcp or _udp as appropriate.
Quote the URI — Enclose the URI in double quotes.
Consider fallbacks — Use multiple records with different priorities.
Keep URIs valid — Ensure target URIs are accessible.

Troubleshooting URI Records

Common issues and solutions:

Record not found — Verify the _service._protocol prefix is correct.
Application not using URI — Not all applications support URI records.
Invalid URI — Ensure the URI is properly formatted and quoted.
Wrong priority order — Lower priority values are preferred.

Check Your URI Records

Use our DNS Record Finder to look up URI records for any domain.