Short answer: DNS records are instructions that tell the internet where to find your website and email. An A record points your domain to a server's IP address, a CNAME points one name to another, an MX record says where your email goes, and TXT records hold verification codes and email security settings (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). Getting them right keeps your website online and your email out of spam.
Sooner or later every business owner opens a DNS settings page and sees a table of cryptic records. This guide explains each one in plain English, shows real examples, and finishes with a healthy setup you can copy.
Think of DNS as the internet's phone book
Computers find each other by numbers called IP addresses (for example 203.0.113.10). People remember names. DNS (the Domain Name System) translates names like yourbusiness.com.ng into those numbers, and also tells email where to go.
Your domain's nameservers hold its DNS records. When someone visits your site or emails you, their systems ask your nameservers for the relevant record.
The records you will actually use
| Record | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | Points a name to an IPv4 address | @ → 203.0.113.10 |
| AAAA | Points a name to an IPv6 address | @ → 2001:db8::10 |
| CNAME | Points a name to another name | www → yourdomain.com |
| MX | Says which server receives email | @ → mail server, priority 10 |
| TXT | Holds text: SPF, DKIM, DMARC, verification | v=spf1 include:... ~all |
| NS | Lists the nameservers for a domain or subdomain | ns1.example.com |
A record: where your website lives
Your main website record. In DNS editors, @ means the domain itself (yourdomain.com). Point it to your hosting server's IP address. You can also create A records for subdomains, such as shop.yourdomain.com.
Example: @ A 203.0.113.10
AAAA record: the IPv6 version
The same idea as an A record, for newer IPv6 addresses. If your server has an IPv6 address (SiloLobby cloud VPS servers come with one), you can add an AAAA record alongside the A record.
CNAME record: an alias
A CNAME makes one name an alias of another. The most common use is www pointing to your main domain, so both addresses show the same site. Services like email sending platforms and website builders also ask you to add CNAMEs to verify your domain or connect it.
Example: www CNAME yourdomain.com
Rule: the root domain (@) cannot be a CNAME, because it must also hold other records such as MX and TXT.
MX record: where your email goes
MX (mail exchange) records list the servers that accept email for your domain, each with a priority. Lower numbers are tried first; higher numbers are backups. When you set up business email, your provider gives you these records.
Example: @ MX 10 mail.yourprovider.com
Rule: remove old MX records when you change email provider, or some mail may go to the old server.
TXT record: text that other systems read
TXT records hold free-form text. They are used for:
- SPF: lists the servers allowed to send email for your domain.
- DKIM: publishes a key that proves an email really came from you (sometimes a CNAME instead).
- DMARC: tells inboxes what to do with email that fails SPF and DKIM.
- Verification codes: prove you own the domain, for example for Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools or Meta.
Examples:
@ TXT v=spf1 include:_spf.yourprovider.com ~all_dmarc TXT v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com
Read SPF, DKIM and DMARC explained to set these up properly.
NS record: who answers for a domain
NS records list the nameservers responsible for a domain. You change your domain's nameservers at your registrar; NS records inside a zone are mainly used to hand a subdomain to another provider.
TTL: how long records are remembered
Every record has a TTL (time to live), in seconds. A TTL of 3600 means networks may remember the record for an hour before asking again.
- Normal operation: 3600 (one hour) or more is fine.
- Before a change: lower it to 300 (five minutes) a day ahead, so your change spreads quickly.
- After the change: raise it again.
Subdomains
A subdomain is a name in front of your domain, such as shop.yourdomain.com or mail.yourdomain.com. Each can have its own records, so you can run your shop, blog or app on separate servers while your main site stays where it is.
Where to edit DNS for SiloLobby domains
Open Domains → Manage in your client area. You can add, edit and delete records, change nameservers, and set up business email records automatically. If your domain uses another DNS provider (for example Cloudflare), make changes there instead: records only take effect where your nameservers point.
A healthy setup for a small business
| Purpose | Record |
|---|---|
| Website | A: @ → your hosting IP |
| www | CNAME: www → your domain |
| Receive email | MX: your email provider's mail servers |
| Sending permission | TXT: SPF record for your email (only one) |
| Email signature | DKIM record from your email provider |
| Email policy | TXT: DMARC at _dmarc (start with p=none) |
| Search Console | TXT: Google verification code |
Troubleshooting common DNS problems
- Website shows an error but email works: check the A record for @ and the www record.
- Email stopped after changing hosts: check that MX records point to your email provider.
- Emails going to spam: check SPF, DKIM and DMARC; make sure there is only one SPF record.
- Changes not showing: you may be editing DNS at the wrong company, or caches have not expired. Check where your nameservers point.
Other record types you may see
- SRV: points services such as calendars, chat or VoIP to a server and port. Some email and collaboration tools ask for these.
- CAA: says which certificate authorities may issue SSL certificates for your domain. Optional, but adds protection.
- PTR (reverse DNS): maps an IP address back to a name. It is set by whoever controls the IP (your server provider), and matters for mail servers.
DNS changes checklist
Before you change any DNS record:
- Write down or screenshot the current records.
- Lower the TTL of the records you will change a day before.
- Change one thing at a time, and test after each change.
- Keep MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records intact unless you are changing email provider.
- Raise the TTL again once everything works.
How long DNS changes take
Most record changes show within an hour if the TTL was low, and within a day in most places otherwise. Nameserver changes can take up to 48 hours to reach every network. Plan important changes for quiet times and test from more than one network.
Summary
You only need a handful of DNS records: A for your website, CNAME for www, MX for email, and TXT for SPF, DMARC and verification codes, plus DKIM from your email provider. Keep one SPF record, lower the TTL before changes, and edit DNS where your nameservers point.