What are DNS records?

DNS records are entries in your domain's DNS zone that provide information about your domain. They tell computers where to find your website, which servers handle email, and other important configuration details.

Think of DNS records as a directory listing for your domain. Each record type serves a different purpose - like different pages in a phonebook showing addresses, phone numbers, or business hours.

Where DNS records are stored:

  • DNS records live on nameservers
  • For 0724 Hosting clients: ns1.practiwebs.co.za and ns2.practiwebs.co.za
  • You manage them in DirectAdmin DNS Manager or at your domain registrar

A Record (Address Record)

What it does:

An A record points a domain or subdomain to an IPv4 address (the most common IP address format). This is how your domain knows which server hosts your website.

Format:

example.co.za    A    197.221.23.45

Common uses:

  • Point domain to website: example.co.za → 197.221.23.45
  • Point www subdomain: www.example.co.za → 197.221.23.45
  • Point any subdomain: shop.example.co.za → 197.221.23.46
  • Point mail server: mail.example.co.za → 197.221.23.45

Example setup:

example.co.za           A    197.221.23.45
www.example.co.za       A    197.221.23.45
mail.example.co.za      A    197.221.23.45

When to use:

  • Point your domain to your hosting server
  • Create subdomains that point to specific IP addresses
  • Most common DNS record type for websites

AAAA Record (IPv6 Address Record)

What it does:

AAAA record (pronounced "quad-A") points a domain to an IPv6 address. IPv6 is the newer IP address format designed to replace IPv4 as the internet grows.

Format:

example.co.za    AAAA    2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334

Common uses:

  • IPv6 website access: Point domain to IPv6 address
  • Dual-stack hosting: Use both A (IPv4) and AAAA (IPv6) records

When to use:

  • If your hosting server has IPv6 support
  • For future-proofing your website
  • Usually used alongside A records (dual-stack)

Note: Most websites only need A records. AAAA is optional unless you specifically need IPv6 support.

CNAME Record (Canonical Name)

What it does:

A CNAME record creates an alias that points one domain name to another domain name (not an IP address). When someone visits the alias, DNS automatically looks up the target domain.

Format:

www.example.co.za    CNAME    example.co.za

Common uses:

  • Point www to root domain: www.example.co.za → example.co.za
  • Point subdomain to external service: shop.example.co.za → shops.myshopify.com
  • Point subdomain to CDN: cdn.example.co.za → cdn.cloudflare.com

Example setup:

www.example.co.za       CNAME    example.co.za
blog.example.co.za      CNAME    example.wordpress.com
shop.example.co.za      CNAME    shops.myshopify.com

Important restrictions:

  • Cannot use on root domain: example.co.za cannot be a CNAME (must use A record)
  • No other records allowed: If a subdomain has a CNAME, it cannot have other record types
  • Points to domain, not IP: CNAME points to another domain name, not an IP address

When to use:

  • Point subdomains to external services (Shopify, WordPress.com, etc.)
  • Create domain aliases
  • Simplify DNS management (change one A record instead of multiple)

MX Record (Mail Exchange)

What it does:

MX records tell other email servers where to deliver email for your domain. Without MX records, you cannot receive email.

Format:

example.co.za    MX    10    mail.example.co.za

The number (10) is the priority. Lower numbers have higher priority.

Common uses:

  • Point email to hosting server: example.co.za MX → mail.example.co.za
  • Point email to Gmail: example.co.za MX → Google's mail servers
  • Point email to Microsoft 365: example.co.za MX → Microsoft's mail servers

Example setup for 0724 Hosting:

example.co.za    MX    0    mail.example.co.za
mail.example.co.za    A    197.221.23.45

You need both: MX record pointing to mail server hostname, and A record pointing that hostname to IP address.

Multiple MX records (backup mail servers):

example.co.za    MX    10    mail1.example.co.za
example.co.za    MX    20    mail2.example.co.za

Priority 10 is tried first. If it fails, priority 20 is used as backup.

When to use:

  • Required for email to work on your domain
  • Set when hosting email with 0724 Hosting
  • Change when moving email to different provider (Gmail, Microsoft 365, etc.)

TXT Record (Text Record)

What it does:

TXT records store text information about your domain. They are used for verification, email security (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and domain ownership verification.

Format:

example.co.za    TXT    "v=spf1 mx a ~all"

Common uses:

1. SPF (Sender Policy Framework) - Email security:

example.co.za    TXT    "v=spf1 mx a ~all"

Authorises which servers can send email for your domain. Prevents email spoofing.

2. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) - Email authentication:

default._domainkey.example.co.za    TXT    "v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIGfMA0GCS..."

Cryptographic signature proving email authenticity.

3. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication) - Email policy:

_dmarc.example.co.za    TXT    "v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:admin@example.co.za"

Email authentication policy and reporting.

4. Domain verification (Google, Microsoft, etc.):

example.co.za    TXT    "google-site-verification=abc123xyz"

Proves you own the domain when setting up services.

5. Site verification (website ownership):

example.co.za    TXT    "facebook-domain-verification=xyz123"

When to use:

  • Set up SPF, DKIM, DMARC for email security (highly recommended)
  • Verify domain ownership for Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Facebook, etc.
  • Configure third-party services requiring DNS verification

Multiple TXT records:

You can have multiple TXT records on the same domain for different purposes:

example.co.za    TXT    "v=spf1 mx a ~all"
example.co.za    TXT    "google-site-verification=abc123"
example.co.za    TXT    "facebook-domain-verification=xyz789"

NS Record (Nameserver)

What it does:

NS records specify which nameservers are authoritative for your domain. They tell the internet where to find your DNS records.

Format:

example.co.za    NS    ns1.practiwebs.co.za
example.co.za    NS    ns2.practiwebs.co.za

Common uses:

  • Point domain to hosting nameservers: Set at domain registrar
  • Delegate subdomain to different nameservers: Rare, for advanced setups

Example for 0724 Hosting:

example.co.za    NS    ns1.practiwebs.co.za
example.co.za    NS    ns2.practiwebs.co.za

When to use:

  • Set at domain registrar when pointing domain to hosting
  • Usually not edited in DirectAdmin (managed at registrar level)
  • Change when switching hosting providers or DNS management

Important notes:

  • You should always have at least 2 nameservers for redundancy
  • Changes to NS records take 24-48 hours to propagate globally
  • Once NS records point to a provider, they manage all other DNS records

SRV Record (Service Record)

What it does:

SRV records specify the location (hostname and port) of specific services like VoIP, instant messaging, or game servers.

Format:

_service._protocol.example.co.za    SRV    priority weight port target

Example:

_sip._tcp.example.co.za    SRV    10 60 5060 sipserver.example.co.za

Common uses:

  • VoIP/SIP services: _sip._tcp.example.co.za
  • Microsoft services: _autodiscover._tcp.example.co.za
  • Minecraft servers: _minecraft._tcp.example.co.za
  • XMPP/Jabber chat: _xmpp._tcp.example.co.za

When to use:

  • Required for VoIP phone systems
  • Needed for some Microsoft 365 services
  • Used by game servers and chat systems
  • Not needed for standard websites or email

CAA Record (Certification Authority Authorisation)

What it does:

CAA records specify which Certificate Authorities (CAs) are allowed to issue SSL certificates for your domain. This is a security feature to prevent unauthorized SSL certificate issuance.

Format:

example.co.za    CAA    0 issue "letsencrypt.org"

Common uses:

  • Allow Let's Encrypt certificates: 0 issue "letsencrypt.org"
  • Allow Sectigo certificates: 0 issue "sectigo.com"
  • Reporting violations: 0 iodef "mailto:security@example.co.za"

Example setup:

example.co.za    CAA    0 issue "letsencrypt.org"
example.co.za    CAA    0 issuewild "letsencrypt.org"

When to use:

  • Optional security enhancement
  • Recommended for high-security domains
  • If not set, any CA can issue certificates (default behaviour)
  • 0724 Hosting uses Let's Encrypt for free SSL certificates

PTR Record (Pointer Record)

What it does:

PTR records perform reverse DNS lookup - mapping an IP address back to a domain name. Used primarily for email server reputation.

Format:

45.23.221.197.in-addr.arpa    PTR    mail.example.co.za

Common uses:

  • Email server reverse DNS: Improve email deliverability and reputation
  • Server identification: Identify servers by IP address lookup

When to use:

  • Essential for email servers to avoid being marked as spam
  • Must be set by hosting provider or IP owner (not in DirectAdmin)
  • Contact 0724 Hosting support to set PTR records for your email server

Important notes:

  • You cannot set PTR records yourself - they must be set by whoever owns the IP address
  • 0724 Hosting manages PTR records for all hosting accounts
  • PTR should match your mail server hostname

TTL (Time To Live)

What it is:

TTL is not a record type, but a setting on every DNS record. It specifies how long (in seconds) DNS servers should cache the record before checking for updates.

Common TTL values:

  • 3600 seconds (1 hour): Standard for most records
  • 86400 seconds (24 hours): Long-term stable records
  • 300 seconds (5 minutes): Before making DNS changes (faster propagation)
  • 60 seconds (1 minute): Testing or frequent changes

How TTL affects DNS changes:

  • Lower TTL = Changes propagate faster, but more DNS queries
  • Higher TTL = Changes take longer to propagate, but less server load

Best practice:

  1. Lower TTL to 300 seconds (5 minutes) at least 24 hours before DNS changes
  2. Make your DNS changes
  3. Wait for old TTL to expire plus propagation time
  4. Increase TTL back to 3600 seconds (1 hour) after changes settle

Common DNS record combinations

Basic website setup:

example.co.za           A       197.221.23.45
www.example.co.za       A       197.221.23.45
example.co.za           NS      ns1.practiwebs.co.za
example.co.za           NS      ns2.practiwebs.co.za

Website + email setup:

example.co.za           A       197.221.23.45
www.example.co.za       A       197.221.23.45
mail.example.co.za      A       197.221.23.45
example.co.za           MX  0   mail.example.co.za
example.co.za           TXT     "v=spf1 mx a ~all"

Website + subdomain + email:

example.co.za           A       197.221.23.45
www.example.co.za       A       197.221.23.45
shop.example.co.za      A       197.221.23.46
mail.example.co.za      A       197.221.23.45
example.co.za           MX  0   mail.example.co.za
example.co.za           TXT     "v=spf1 mx a ~all"
_dmarc.example.co.za    TXT     "v=DMARC1; p=quarantine"

Managing DNS records in DirectAdmin

Access DNS management:

  1. Log in to DirectAdmin
  2. Go to Account Manager → DNS Management
  3. Select domain to edit
  4. Add, edit, or delete DNS records

Add a new DNS record:

  1. Click Add Record
  2. Select record type (A, CNAME, MX, TXT, etc.)
  3. Enter record name (subdomain or @)
  4. Enter record value (IP address, hostname, or text)
  5. Set TTL (usually 3600)
  6. Click Add

Edit existing record:

  1. Find record in DNS zone
  2. Click Edit
  3. Change value or TTL
  4. Click Save

See our guide: Managing DNS Records in DirectAdmin.

DNS record best practices

  • Always set both A and www: Create A records for both example.co.za and www.example.co.za
  • Use TXT records for email security: Set SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to improve email deliverability
  • Lower TTL before changes: Reduce TTL to 300 seconds before making DNS changes
  • Keep records organised: Document what each record is for (use comments if available)
  • Remove unused records: Delete old records to keep DNS clean
  • Test after changes: Use DNS checker tools (WhatsMyDNS.net) to verify propagation
  • Backup DNS zone: Keep record of all DNS records before major changes

Troubleshooting DNS records

Website not loading:

  • Check A record points to correct IP address
  • Verify both root domain and www subdomain have A records
  • Wait for DNS propagation (up to 48 hours)
  • Clear browser cache and DNS cache

Email not working:

  • Check MX record exists and points to correct mail server
  • Verify mail server hostname has A record
  • Ensure SPF record is set correctly
  • Test with MXToolbox.com

Subdomain not resolving:

  • Verify A record or CNAME exists for subdomain
  • Check for typos in subdomain name
  • Wait for DNS propagation
  • Test with DNS lookup tools

Tools for checking DNS records

Online DNS checkers:

  • WhatsMyDNS.net: Check DNS propagation globally
  • DNS Checker: Verify A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT records
  • MXToolbox.com: Email DNS testing (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
  • DNSViz: Visualize DNSSEC validation
  • Google Admin Toolbox: Dig tool for detailed DNS queries

Command-line tools:

Linux/Mac:

dig example.co.za A
dig example.co.za MX
dig example.co.za TXT

Windows:

nslookup example.co.za
nslookup -type=MX example.co.za

Getting help with DNS records

If you need assistance setting up DNS records, configuring email DNS, or troubleshooting DNS issues, contact 0724 Hosting support. We can help with:

  • Creating and managing DNS records in DirectAdmin
  • Setting up email DNS (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
  • Configuring subdomains and external services
  • Troubleshooting DNS propagation issues
  • Optimising DNS setup for South African domains
  • Advanced DNS configurations (SRV, CAA, DNSSEC)