Website DNS records tell visitors where a hostname should resolve. Obtain the exact values from your hosting or application provider. When you select Keep my DNS provider, hosting setup displays the address records to publish externally. Hosting account creation happens before this DNS step.
| Record | Value it expects | Typical purpose |
|---|---|---|
| A | IPv4 address | Connect a hostname to an IPv4 server. |
| AAAA | IPv6 address | Connect a hostname to a working IPv6 server. |
| CNAME | Another hostname | Make one hostname an alias of another. |
The DNS record specification defines A and CNAME records, and RFC 3596 defines AAAA records.
- Identify the authoritative DNS editor using the linked guide. Save the existing values for the hostname you will change.
- Confirm whether you are editing the root domain,
www, or another subdomain. Many editors use@for the root, but follow the syntax shown by your active provider. - Choose the requested record type and enter the supplied address or target. An A or AAAA value is not a URL: do not include
https://, a port, or a page path. - Review existing records for the same name. A CNAME should not coexist with ordinary A, AAAA, or other data at that same name. If your provider proposes a root-domain alias, follow its specific supported method instead of assuming a standard root CNAME is valid.
- Save the change and verify both the root domain and
wwwwhere you use both.
For initial hosting setup here: Publish the displayed @ and www A records at the current DNS provider, replacing conflicting destinations. Use Check DNS records in hosting setup. In Cloudflare, keep these web records DNS only until verification and SSL are complete; mail and panel hostnames should remain DNS-only. Follow Choose a DNS setup method.
If some visitors reach the wrong site: Check both A and AAAA. A forgotten AAAA record can send IPv6-capable visitors to an old server. Multiple A values can also send traffic to different destinations.
If DNS is correct but the browser shows an error: Confirm that the hosting service accepts that hostname and that HTTPS has a certificate covering it. A DNS alias does not itself create a website, issue a certificate, or redirect the browser to another URL.
Related: Find the DNS editor, Connect an external domain, Subdomains and forwarding.
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