DNS Records Guide
A complete reference for DNS record types, when to use each one, and how to manage them in Havenoro CP.
DNS records are the individual instructions in your DNS zone. Each record type tells the internet something different about your domain. This guide explains each type, when you need it, and how to manage records in Havenoro CP.
DNS Records Overview
DNS records are like the settings on a GPS navigation system. The A record is the street address — it tells the GPS (the internet) where your destination (website) is located. The CNAME record is a shortcut name — like saving "Home" as a destination that points to your actual address. The MX record tells the GPS where to send mail deliveries. Each record type serves a specific purpose, and together they make your domain work correctly.
All DNS records live inside your DNS zone file. In Havenoro CP, you manage them through the DNS tab, which provides a user-friendly interface for adding, editing, and deleting records without needing to edit zone files manually.
Common DNS Record Types
| Type | Purpose | Example Value | Analogy |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Points a domain to an IPv4 address (e.g., 192.0.2.1). Every website needs at least one A record. |
203.0.113.5 |
A street address for your house |
| AAAA | Points a domain to an IPv6 address (e.g., 2001:db8::1). Used for the newer IPv6 internet standard. |
2001:db8::1 |
An address in a newer, larger city |
| CNAME | Aliases one domain name to another. For example, www.example.com can be a CNAME pointing to example.com. |
example.com. |
A forwarding address — "I live at this other address" |
| MX | Specifies the mail server(s) for the domain. Priority numbers indicate which server to try first (lower = higher priority). | mail.example.com (priority 10) |
The post office that handles your mail |
| TXT | Stores text information. Commonly used for email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and domain ownership verification. | "v=spf1 mx ~all" |
A note on your door with delivery instructions |
| NS | Delegates a domain to specific nameservers. Tells the internet which DNS servers are authoritative for your domain. | ns1.havenoro.com |
The phone directory operator for your area |
| SRV | Specifies a server for a specific service. Used for things like SIP (voice over IP), Minecraft servers, or Microsoft Exchange. | _sip._tcp.example.com |
A specialized service directory |
When You Need Each Type
A Record — Always Needed for a Website
Every domain that hosts a website needs at least one A record. This is the fundamental record that translates your domain name into the IP address of your web server. Without it, browsers cannot find your website.
CNAME — For Subdomains
Use CNAME records when you want subdomains like www, blog, or shop to point to the same place as your main domain. For example, setting www.example.com as a CNAME to example.com means visitors who type www. will be directed to your main domain. You can also use CNAMEs to point to third-party services — for example, pointing shop.example.com to your Shopify store.
MX — Always Needed for Email
If you want to receive email at @yourdomain.com addresses, you need MX records. These tell sending servers where to deliver email. Without MX records, email sent to your domain will bounce (be returned to sender as undeliverable).
TXT — For Verification and Email Authentication
TXT records are versatile. The most common uses are:
- SPF — lists authorized sending servers for your domain. Prevents spammers from forging your domain in email headers.
- DKIM — publishes your public key so receiving servers can verify your email signatures. Configured automatically by Havenoro CP when you enable DKIM on a mail domain.
- DMARC — tells receiving servers what to do if SPF and DKIM both fail.
- Domain verification — services like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 ask you to add a TXT record to prove you own the domain.
Managing Records in Havenoro CP
Go to the DNS tab
Click the DNS tab to see all your DNS zones.
Click the domain
Click the domain name whose records you want to manage. This opens the zone editor showing all existing records.
Add, edit, or delete records
Click Add Record to create a new record. A form will appear where you specify the record name (subdomain), type, value, and TTL. To edit, hover over an existing record and click the pencil icon. To delete, click the trash icon.
Save your changes
Click Save to apply your changes. The DNS server will begin serving the updated records immediately.
Understanding TTL
TTL (Time To Live) tells other DNS servers how long to cache (remember) your records before checking for updates. It is measured in seconds.
| TTL | Duration | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 300 | 5 minutes | Testing, migration, frequently changing records |
| 3600 | 1 hour | Moderately stable records |
| 14400 | 4 hours | Default — good balance for most records |
| 86400 | 24 hours | Very stable records that rarely change |
- Missing trailing dot: Some record values require a trailing dot (e.g.,
mail.example.com.instead ofmail.example.com). Without it, the DNS server may append your domain name, resulting in incorrect values likemail.example.com.example.com. - Wrong TTL: Setting TTL too high before a planned change means old cached records persist longer than desired.
- Conflicting records: You cannot have a CNAME and any other record type for the same name. For example, you cannot have both a CNAME and an MX record for
www.example.com. - Changes to NS records are critical: Modifying NS records tells the internet to use different DNS servers for your domain. Mistakes here can make your entire domain unreachable for up to 48 hours.
Next Steps
- Secure your DNS: Enable DNSSEC to prevent DNS spoofing. See the DNSSEC Setup tutorial.
- Configure email authentication: Make sure your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are set up correctly to prevent your emails from being marked as spam.
- Test your configuration: Use dnschecker.org to verify your DNS records are resolving correctly from locations around the world.