DNS records (A, CNAME, MX) without the magic
When someone types in your site's address, the computer has to turn the name (e.g. yourcompany.com) into a server address. DNS does this, a system that works like a giant phone book of the internet. DNS records are simply entries in that book saying "this name points there".
The most important records in practice
- A: points to the server (IP address) your site sits on. You change it when you move the site to a new host.
- CNAME: an "alias" that says "this name is the same as another one". Often used for
wwwor subdomains. - MX: points to the server that handles email for your domain. Without a correct MX, emails do not arrive.
- TXT: text entries, including verifications and email protections (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
Why it can be a source of problems
The most common trouble: after moving a site, someone changed the A record but forgot about email (MX), and emails stopped arriving. Or the domain and site are with two different providers and the entries "drifted apart". DNS can also update with a delay, after a change you sometimes have to wait a few hours.
A safety rule: before you touch DNS, note down the current entries. If something goes wrong, you can return to the pre-change state.
Who holds the keys to your domain
The DNS panel is usually where you registered the domain. It is an important place, whoever has access to it controls where your site and email point. It is worth knowing where it is and having access to it.
We will help arrange it
Migrations, hosting changes, moving email, all of these touch DNS. We do it calmly, with a record of the starting state, so that the site and email keep working without interruption.
Lost in your domain records? Reach out, we will set up DNS so everything works.