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DNSbeginner3 min read

DNS Records Explained for Website Owners

Understand A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT and CAA records before changing website or email delivery.

Written by HostPora Academy Team · Technical review by HostPora Technical Review · Updated Nov 5, 2026

Step 1

Website records

A records point names to IPv4 addresses, AAAA records point to IPv6 and CNAME records alias one hostname to another name.

  1. 1Check root record
  2. 2Check www record
  3. 3Remove obsolete addresses
Step 2

Email and verification records

MX records select receiving mail servers. TXT records carry SPF, DKIM references and service-verification values.

  1. 1Preserve MX records
  2. 2Publish one SPF policy
  3. 3Verify DKIM selector names
Step 3

Certificate controls

CAA records restrict which certificate authorities may issue for the domain. A restrictive record must allow the authority used by the hosting service.

  1. 1List current CAA records
  2. 2Confirm issuer name
  3. 3Retest certificate issuance

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Common questions

Resolve the details before changing production.

Does changing nameservers copy my DNS records?+

No. Recreate required website, email and verification records at the new DNS provider before switching.

Can a CNAME exist at the root domain?+

Standard DNS does not allow an ordinary CNAME beside other required root records. Some providers offer flattening alternatives.

Why does an old address still appear?+

Resolvers keep answers for the record TTL. Stale records at another authoritative nameserver also cause inconsistent results.

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