A, CNAME, MX and TXT records explained
The DNS record types every Melbourne business touches — what each one does and common misconfiguration mistakes.
A and AAAA records
A records point a hostname (often www or @) to an IPv4 address where your website lives. AAAA is the IPv6 equivalent. Use A/AAAA for apex domains when your host gives you a fixed IP or clear target.
CNAME records
CNAME aliases one name to another — for example www pointing to your SaaS host. Do not use CNAME on the root @ record on all providers; many setups use ALIAS/ANAME or flattening instead. Chains of multiple CNAMEs slow troubleshooting.
MX records
MX (mail exchange) records tell the internet which servers accept email for your domain, with priority numbers if you have backups. Point MX only to mail platforms you actually use — stray MX records are a common cause of mail going to the wrong tenant.
TXT records
TXT holds verification strings: SPF, DKIM, DMARC, domain ownership proofs, and third-party services. They are easy to break with extra quotes or wrapping. Keep a change log when marketing tools ask for new TXT entries.
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