What's the difference between an A record and a CNAME record?

An A record points a domain directly to an IPv4 address. A CNAME record points a domain to another domain name instead of an IP address, and the resolver then looks up that domain's own records. A CNAME cannot coexist with other record types on the same name.

Which record type is used for SPF and DKIM?

Both SPF and DKIM are published as TXT records. There is no dedicated SPF or DKIM record type in DNS — they're just plain text records with specific formatting conventions that mail servers know how to parse.

Do I need an NS record for my own domain?

Yes, but you typically don't manage it directly — your domain registrar or DNS host sets the NS records automatically to point to their own name servers when you register or transfer a domain.

DNS Record Types Explained: A, MX, TXT, CNAME, NS & More

By MXToolbox Team · August 26, 2026

DNS has dozens of record types defined in various RFCs, but in practice, day-to-day domain administration revolves around a handful of them. Here’s what each one does.

A record

Maps a domain name to an IPv4 address. This is the most common record type — it’s what makes yourdomain.com resolve to a server.

yourdomain.com.   A   203.0.113.10

AAAA record

The IPv6 equivalent of an A record. Maps a domain to an IPv6 address.

yourdomain.com.   AAAA   2001:db8::1

MX record

Specifies which mail servers accept email for the domain, along with a priority value (lower = preferred). See the full MX record guide for details.

yourdomain.com.   MX   10   mail.yourdomain.com.

TXT record

Holds arbitrary text data. Originally meant for human-readable notes, TXT records are now the backbone of email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and domain ownership verification for services like Google Search Console.

yourdomain.com.   TXT   "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com -all"

See the TXT record lookup guide for more on reading these.

CNAME record

An alias — points one domain name to another domain name, which is then resolved through its own records.

www.yourdomain.com.   CNAME   yourdomain.com.

Important constraint: a name with a CNAME record cannot have any other record types (no A, no MX, nothing else) at that same name. This is why CNAME records are almost never used on a bare root domain (yourdomain.com), only on subdomains like www or blog.

NS record

Specifies the authoritative name servers for a domain — the servers that hold the actual DNS records and answer queries about them.

yourdomain.com.   NS   ns1.dnsprovider.com.
yourdomain.com.   NS   ns2.dnsprovider.com.

These are usually set automatically by your registrar or DNS host when you point a domain at their nameservers.

A quick comparison table

Type	Points to	Common use
A	IPv4 address	Website hosting, server IPs
AAAA	IPv6 address	IPv6 hosting
MX	Mail server hostname	Email delivery
TXT	Arbitrary text	SPF, DKIM, DMARC, verification
CNAME	Another domain name	Subdomain aliasing
NS	Name server hostname	Delegating DNS authority

Other record types you might encounter

SOA (Start of Authority) — metadata about the DNS zone itself (primary nameserver, admin contact, refresh timers).
SRV — specifies a host and port for a specific service, commonly used by VoIP and some messaging protocols.
PTR — the reverse of an A record; maps an IP address back to a hostname, used in reverse DNS lookups.
CAA — restricts which certificate authorities are allowed to issue SSL/TLS certificates for the domain.

Checking any of these yourself

Use the free DNS Lookup tool to query A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, or NS records for any domain directly from your browser.

If you’re setting up DNS for a domain you plan to send email from, get MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC all correctly configured before sending volume — check them with the SPF/DKIM/DMARC checker, then consider a gradual warm-up. MailPilot helps warm up new mailboxes and monitor deliverability for cold email and outreach.