DNS Management Basics

Understanding DNS is essential for managing your domain effectively.

What is DNS?

DNS (Domain Name System) translates human-readable domain names (like example.co.za) into IP addresses that computers use to identify servers.

Key DNS Records

• A Record: Points your domain to an IP address (IPv4)
• AAAA Record: Points to an IPv6 address
• CNAME: Creates an alias from one domain to another
• MX Record: Directs email to your mail server
• TXT Record: Stores text information (used for verification, SPF, DKIM)
• NS Record: Specifies the nameservers for your domain

Nameservers

Nameservers are the “address book” of the internet. When you register with us, we provide nameservers that handle DNS resolution for your domain.

Common DNS Tasks

Pointing to a Website

Create an A record pointing to your web hosting server’s IP address.

Setting Up Email

Add MX records pointing to your email provider (Gmail, Outlook, etc.).

Verifying Domain Ownership

Add a TXT record with a verification code from services like Google or Facebook.

DNS Propagation

After making DNS changes, it can take 24-48 hours for changes to propagate globally. Most changes take effect within a few hours.