DNS Record Types: A, AAAA, CNAME, TXT, and CAA

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 04:12:00 +0800

DNS record types A, AAAA, CNAME, TXT, and CAA store different answers. A and AAAA hold the server address. CNAME holds another name so a CDN or host can keep the later addresses. TXT holds ownership proofs and mail policy. CAA names which certificate authorities may issue.

When the hostname should reach a server you control, publish A or AAAA. When the platform issues a hostname instead of a stable IP, publish CNAME. TXT and CAA do not send traffic; they only constrain verification and issuance.

A, AAAA, and CNAME decide where traffic goes. TXT and CAA store verification, policy, or certificate limits.

How DNS record types A, AAAA, CNAME, TXT, and CAA differ

Record	Value	Common job	Usual failure
A	IPv4 address	Point a name at an IPv4 server	The server IP changed and the record did not
AAAA	IPv6 address	Point a name at an IPv6 server	IPv6-capable networks try an address the service cannot serve
CNAME	Another name	CDN, hosted platform, object storage	The same owner also has A, TXT, or MX
TXT	A text string	Domain ownership, SPF, DKIM, DMARC	The console appended the zone, or the copied value gained a space
CAA	A CA identifier	Limit which issuers may mint certificates	The CA already in use is missing, so renewal fails

Consoles label the DNS name as Host, Name, or Record name. Each record still has a name, a type, a value, and a TTL. Google Cloud DNS records overview(opens in a new tab) lists common uses. A and CNAME semantics are in RFC 1034(opens in a new tab). AAAA is RFC 3596(opens in a new tab). CAA is RFC 8659(opens in a new tab).

CNAME on StackOnward

DNS Record Types: A, AAAA, CNAME, TXT, and CAA

How DNS record types A, AAAA, CNAME, TXT, and CAA differ