Setting Up DNS for Your Domain
5 min read
## Setting Up DNS for Your Domain
When you register a domain name, you own the address — but the internet cannot find you until you configure the DNS (Domain Name System) (Domain Name System). DNS is the directory that translates your human-readable domain into the numeric IP Address that servers understand. Getting DNS right from the start saves hours of troubleshooting later.
This guide walks through the entire process: understanding nameservers, creating essential records, and verifying everything works.
## Step 1: Point Your Domain to Nameservers
Every domain delegates authority to one or more nameservers — the servers that hold your DNS records. When someone looks up your domain, the global DNS hierarchy asks your registrar "who is authoritative?" and it replies with your nameservers.
You have two common options:
**Use your registrar's nameservers.** Most registrars (Namecheap, GoDaddy, Google Domains, etc.) provide built-in DNS management. This is the simplest path — your records and registrar are in one place.
**Use a third-party DNS provider.** Services like Cloudflare, Amazon Route 53, and NS1 offer faster global networks, advanced features, and better uptime SLAs. You update the NS records at your registrar to point to the provider, then manage records there.
To change nameservers, log into your registrar, find the domain's settings, and replace the existing NS values with the ones your DNS provider supplies. Changes to NS records can take 24–48 hours to propagate — this is normal.
## Step 2: Understand the Zone File
All your DNS records live in a DNS Zone File. Think of it as a configuration file for your domain. A minimal zone file contains:
- An SOA Record (Start of Authority) — created automatically, defines zone metadata
- NS records — lists your authoritative nameservers
- An A Record (or AAAA Record) — maps your domain to an IP address
- Optionally: MX, TXT, CNAME records
Most DNS control panels hide the raw zone file and present a table of records instead. You edit rows in that table rather than writing zone file syntax directly.
## Step 3: Create an A Record
The A Record is the most fundamental DNS record. It maps your domain (or a subdomain) to an IPv4 address.
| Field | Value | Notes |
|-------|-------|-------|
| Name | `@` | Represents the root domain (`example.com`) |
| Type | A | |
| Value | `203.0.113.10` | Your server's IPv4 address |
| TTL | 3600 | 1 hour is a good default |
The `@` symbol is shorthand for the root domain. You would also create a second A record for `www`:
| Name | Type | Value | TTL |
|------|------|-------|-----|
| `www` | A | `203.0.113.10` | 3600 |
If your server has an IPv6 address, add an AAAA Record with the same name pointing to the IPv6 address. This is best practice for modern infrastructure.
## Step 4: Add an MX Record for Email
If you want email at your domain (e.g. `[email protected]`), you need MX records. These tell mail servers where to deliver messages addressed to your domain.
| Name | Type | Priority | Value | TTL |
|------|------|----------|-------|-----|
| `@` | MX | 10 | `mail.example.com` | 3600 |
Most email providers (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Fastmail) give you their exact MX values to copy in. Priority numbers are used when you have multiple MX records — lower numbers are tried first.
## Step 5: Add TXT Records for Email Authentication
Three TXT records are essential for modern email deliverability:
- **SPF** — declares which servers may send email for your domain
- **DKIM** — adds a cryptographic signature to outgoing email
- **DMARC** — tells receiving servers what to do with messages that fail SPF/DKIM
Your email provider will supply the exact values. See our detailed guide on TXT Records: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Explained for the full setup.
## Step 6: Set a CNAME for www (Alternative Approach)
Instead of a separate A record for `www`, many setups use a CNAME Record that points `www` to the root domain:
| Name | Type | Value | TTL |
|------|------|-------|-----|
| `www` | CNAME | `example.com` | 3600 |
The trade-off: CNAME lookups require one extra DNS resolution. For most sites this is imperceptible. However, you cannot use a CNAME at the root/apex (`@`) with standard DNS — some providers offer a proprietary "CNAME flattening" or "ALIAS" record type as a workaround.
## Step 7: Understand TTL
TTL (Time to Live) controls how long resolvers cache your records. Common values:
- **300 seconds (5 min)** — use when planning changes; propagates fast
- **3600 seconds (1 hour)** — good default for stable records
- **86400 seconds (24 hours)** — for records that never change
Lower TTLs mean faster propagation after changes, but more DNS queries (marginal cost). Before a major migration, lower TTLs to 300 seconds a day in advance.
## Step 8: Verify Your Records
Use the DNS Record Helper tool to check that your records are resolving correctly. Command-line alternatives:
```bash
# Check A record
dig example.com A
# Check MX records
dig example.com MX
# Check TXT records
dig example.com TXT
# Query a specific nameserver
dig @8.8.8.8 example.com A
```
If records are not showing up, check DNS Propagation — it can take minutes to hours depending on your TTL settings and the resolver being used.
## Common Mistakes to Avoid
**Forgetting the trailing dot in raw zone files.** If you ever edit zone files directly, hostnames must end with a dot (`example.com.`). Without it, the zone origin is appended.
**Adding a CNAME at the root.** A root-level CNAME conflicts with MX and other records. Use an A record, AAAA record, or your provider's ALIAS/ANAME feature at the apex.
**Setting very low TTLs permanently.** After a migration, remember to raise TTLs back to an hour or more to reduce query load.
**Not adding both A and AAAA records.** IPv6 adoption is significant. If your server supports IPv6, serve both record types.
## Next Steps
With your core DNS records in place, explore more advanced topics:
- A Record vs CNAME: When to Use Each — when to use each record type
- MX Records: Setting Up Email for Your Domain — detailed email DNS walkthrough
- Understanding DNS Propagation — why changes take time and how to track them
- Cloudflare DNS Setup Guide — migrate to Cloudflare for speed and security features
Use the WHOIS Lookup Tool to confirm your nameserver delegation is visible globally before troubleshooting record-level issues.