DNS REFERENCE
What is an A Record?
The foundational address record of the Domain Name System, linking readable hostnames directly to IPv4 network addresses.
Understanding the Address (A) Record
An A Record (which stands for "Address Record") is one of the oldest and most fundamental types of DNS records. Its sole purpose is to map a domain name or hostname (like example.com) to a 32-bit IPv4 address (like 93.184.216.34).
When you type a website's URL into your browser, your computer performs a DNS query. The DNS resolver looks up the A record associated with that domain. Once retrieved, the browser uses that IPv4 address to establish a direct network connection to the server hosting the site. Without A records, computers wouldn't know which physical server to request website files from.
Structure of an A Record
In a DNS zone file, an A record is represented by key fields that define its routing behavior:
| Host/Name | TTL (Time to Live) | Record Type | Points To (Value) |
|---|---|---|---|
| example.com | 3600 (1 Hour) | A | 93.184.216.34 |
| www.example.com | 3600 (1 Hour) | A | 93.184.216.35 |
- Name / Host: The domain name or subdomain being mapped.
- TTL (Time to Live): The duration in seconds that resolvers should cache the record before asking nameservers for updates.
- Class: Typically "IN" (Internet), representing standard web routing.
- Points To: The actual destination IPv4 address of the target web server.
Query an A Record in Real Time
Want to see a real-world A record in action? Enter a domain name below to query its active A records immediately:
A Record vs. Other DNS Records
A vs. AAAA Records
While A records translate hostnames to 32-bit IPv4 addresses (e.g., 192.0.2.1), AAAA records map hostnames to 128-bit IPv6 addresses (e.g., 2001:db8::1). IPv6 provides a exponentially larger address space than IPv4.
A vs. CNAME Records
An A record maps a name directly to a physical IP address. A CNAME (Canonical Name) record maps a name to another name (e.g., pointing blog.example.com to example.myshopify.com). The resolver must then perform a second lookup on that target name to find the ultimate A/AAAA record IP address.
KEY FACTS
Primary Use
Resolving web domains to host IPv4 addresses
Input Type
Fully qualified domain name (FQDN)
Output Value
32-bit IPv4 Address (e.g. 192.0.2.1)
OTHER DNS EXPLANATIONS