DNS Records Explained — A, CNAME, MX, TXT and More
DNS records connect your domain name to your website (A record), email (MX), and other services (CNAME, TXT). This guide explains the 7 most common record types and what each does.
DNS records connect your domain name to your website (A record), email (MX), and other services (CNAME, TXT). This guide explains the 7 most common record types and what each does.
What is DNS?
DNS stands for Domain Name System. It is the phonebook of the internet. When you type a domain name like bahrainserver.net into a browser, DNS translates it into a numeric IP address that computers use to communicate. Without DNS you would need to remember long strings of numbers for every website you visit.
DNS records are the individual instructions stored in the DNS system. Each record tells the internet how to handle requests for your domain in a specific way — which server hosts your website, where your email should be delivered, which services are authorised to send email on your behalf, and so on.
DNS record types table
| Record type | What it does | Example use |
|---|---|---|
| A | Maps a domain to an IPv4 address | yourdomain.com → 192.0.2.1 |
| AAAA | Maps a domain to an IPv6 address | yourdomain.com → 2001:db8::1 |
| CNAME | Aliases one domain to another | www.yourdomain.com → yourdomain.com |
| MX | Directs email to a mail server | yourdomain.com → mail.yourdomain.com |
| TXT | Stores text information for verification | SPF, DKIM, DMARC records, domain ownership verification |
| NS | Specifies which name servers are authoritative for the domain | ns1.bahrainserver.net, ns2.bahrainserver.net |
| SRV | Defines a specific service and port | Used by Microsoft 365, SIP, and other services |
How to check your DNS records
You can check your domain’s current DNS records using free online tools or command-line utilities. The quickest method is a DNS lookup tool that queries the public DNS system and shows you all the records currently published for your domain. Popular options include MXToolbox, DNSStuff, and Google Admin Toolbox.
From the command line, you can use nslookup or dig to inspect specific record types. For example, dig yourdomain.com A shows your A record, and dig yourdomain.com MX shows your mail exchange records. These tools are built into macOS, Linux, and Windows.
Common DNS configuration mistakes
DNS mistakes can take your site offline or break email delivery without any obvious error message. The most common issues we see are: forgetting to update the A record after changing hosting providers (the domain still points to the old server), missing or incorrect MX records (email stops arriving), CNAME conflicts (a CNAME cannot coexist with other records for the same name), and incorrect TTL values set too high before a planned migration.
Another frequent mistake is forgetting to update the NS records at your domain registrar when you change DNS providers. The NS records tell the internet which name servers are authoritative for your domain. If they still point to your old provider, none of your other DNS changes will have any effect regardless of what you configure in the new control panel.
TTL explained
TTL stands for Time To Live. It is a value in seconds that tells DNS resolvers how long to cache a record before checking for an updated version. A typical TTL is 3600 seconds (1 hour) or 14400 seconds (4 hours). Low TTL values like 300 seconds (5 minutes) mean changes propagate quickly but increase DNS query load. High TTL values like 86400 seconds (24 hours) reduce query load but mean any mistake takes a full day to fix.
The standard approach is to lower your TTL to 300 seconds a few days before a planned DNS change, make the change, wait for propagation, and then raise the TTL back to a normal value. This gives you a fast rollback window if something goes wrong.
Frequently asked questions
The A record is the most common. It maps a domain name to an IPv4 address, which is what browsers use to find your website’s server. Almost every domain has at least one A record.
Propagation can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours. The delay depends on the TTL (Time To Live) value set on the record and how frequently caching DNS resolvers refresh their data. Lower TTL means faster updates.
Yes. Multiple A records pointing to different IP addresses is a common method of DNS-based load balancing. The resolver will rotate through the IPs, distributing traffic across multiple servers.
The service that depended on that record will stop working. If you delete an MX record, email stops flowing. If you delete an A record, your website goes offline. You can recreate the record at any time, but propagation delays apply.
Most hosting providers including BahrainServer manage DNS for you through the control panel. You only need to touch DNS settings when you change hosts, set up email, add subdomains, or configure third-party services like Google Workspace.