DNS Records Cheat Sheet

Record Type Description
A Address Record: Maps a domain to an IPv4 address (e.g., example.com -> 192.0.2.1).
AAAA IPv6 Address Record: Maps a domain to an IPv6 address (e.g., example.com -> 2001:0db8::1).
CNAME Canonical Name Record: Alias for another domain (e.g., www.example.com -> example.com).
MX Mail Exchange Record: Specifies mail servers for a domain (e.g., example.com -> mail.example.com).
TXT Text Record: Stores arbitrary text data, often used for SPF, DKIM, or verification purposes (e.g., v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all).
NS Name Server Record: Specifies authoritative name servers for a domain (e.g., example.com -> ns1.example.com).
PTR Pointer Record: Used for reverse DNS lookups, maps IP address to a domain (e.g., 192.0.2.1 -> example.com).
SRV Service Record: Defines the location of specific services (e.g., sip.example.com -> _sip._tcp.example.com).
SOA Start of Authority: Indicates the start of a zone and specifies authoritative information (e.g., example.com -> ns1.example.com).
CAA Certification Authority Authorization: Specifies which certificate authorities are allowed to issue certificates for a domain.
DS Delegation Signer: Used in DNSSEC to authenticate domain delegations.
NSEC Next Secure Record: Used in DNSSEC to prove the non-existence of a domain name.