DNS Records Explained: A to Z Guide

What is DNS?

DNS (Domain Name System) is the internet's phone book. When someone types your domain (e.g. sakurahost.co.tz), DNS translates it into the IP address of your server. Without DNS, visitors would need to memorise numbers like 178.105.37.129 instead of your domain name.

A Record — Points to IPv4

The most fundamental record. Maps your domain directly to an IPv4 address.

sakurahost.co.tz  A  38.242.207.141

Use this to point your domain or a subdomain to your server's IP address.

AAAA Record — Points to IPv6

Same as A but for IPv6 addresses. Most servers still use IPv4 — only add AAAA if your host specifically provides an IPv6 address.

CNAME Record — Alias

Points one domain to another domain (not an IP). Classic uses: www.yoursite.co.tz → yoursite.co.tz or shop.yoursite.co.tz → yourshop.myshopify.com.

Rule: Never use CNAME on your root domain — only on subdomains.

MX Record — Email Routing

Tells the internet which server handles email for your domain. Each MX record has a priority number — lower = higher priority.

yoursite.co.tz  MX  10  mail.yoursite.co.tz
yoursite.co.tz  MX  20  mail2.yoursite.co.tz

If you use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, they provide the specific MX values.

TXT Record — Verification and Email Auth

Stores text data for verification and authentication. Critical uses: SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and domain verification for Google, Meta Business Manager, etc.

NS Record — Nameservers

Delegates control of your domain's DNS to specific nameservers. Sakurahost domains use ns-tz1 through ns-tz4.sakurahost.co.tz — all four are required for redundancy.

SRV Record — Service Location

Used for specific services like VoIP (SIP) or Microsoft Teams. Only needed when a provider explicitly instructs you to add one.

TTL — Time To Live

Controls how long DNS records are cached by ISPs. Use 300 (5 min) before planned changes, 3600 (1 hour) for normal records, 86400 (24 hours) for stable records.