DNS records explained
DNS is the internet's address book — and when a record is wrong, your website or email simply stops working. Here's what the common records do, in plain English.
What DNS actually does
Every domain needs DNS to tell the world where its website lives, where its email should go, and how to verify it. When someone types your domain, their computer asks DNS for the right address. Get a record wrong and visitors hit the wrong server — or your email bounces.
The records that matter
- A record — points your domain (or a subdomain) to a server's IP address. This is what makes
yourbusiness.comload your website. - CNAME — an alias that points one name at another name (e.g.
www→ your main domain). Handy for pointing at hosted services. - MX record — tells the world which mail server receives email for your domain. Wrong MX = no email.
- TXT record — holds verification and policy text, most importantly your email-authentication records: SPF (who may send mail for you), DKIM (a signature proving the mail is yours) and DMARC (what to do if those fail).
Why changes aren't instant: propagation
Each record has a TTL (time to live) that tells resolvers how long to cache it. When you change a record, the old value can linger in caches around the world until the TTL expires — so a change can take minutes to a day to fully "propagate." Lowering the TTL before a planned change keeps the cutover fast.
Why managed DNS keeps things from breaking
DNS is unforgiving — a single wrong character in an MX or SPF record can take down your email. With managed DNS, your records live on fast, reliable nameservers run by a team that handles the changes for you: moving a site, adding a verification record, fixing email deliverability. And when your domain, DNS, hosting and email all live under one roof, nothing falls through the cracks between vendors.
Let us run it for you — see domains & managed DNS.
Quick answers
Why did my website or email stop working after a DNS change?
Usually a wrong or missing record — an A record pointing at the old server, or an MX/SPF record that's off by a character. DNS is unforgiving; one bad value can break your site or bounce your email. Managed DNS avoids this by having a team make the changes correctly.
How long do DNS changes take to work?
It depends on the record's TTL (time to live), which controls how long resolvers cache it — anywhere from a few minutes to about a day. Lowering the TTL before a planned change makes the cutover fast.
What's the difference between an A record and a CNAME?
An A record points a name directly at a server's IP address. A CNAME points one name at another name (an alias). Use an A record for your main domain's IP, and a CNAME to alias something like www to your main domain.
Want your DNS handled by a team that won't break it?
Fully managed by a real US-based team — call 317.774.2100.