Common DNS Record Types: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX and TXT

A domain uses several types of DNS records for different jobs. A and AAAA direct traffic to server IP addresses, CNAME aliases one hostname to another, MX routes incoming email, and TXT publishes text-based verification or policy information.

The five records, with examples

Points a hostname to an IPv4 address

@

192.0.2.10

AAAA

Points a hostname to an IPv6 address

@

2001:db8::10

CNAME

Makes a hostname an alias of another hostname

www

example.com

Specifies where incoming mail should be delivered

@

Priority 10, server mail.example.com

TXT

Holds provider verification strings and policies

@

v=spf1 -all (illustrative; not a production mail policy)

The IP addresses above are documentation-only addresses. Your hosting or mail provider must give you the real destination values.

Add or edit records at NiceNIC

Find the authoritative nameservers for the domain. If DNS is managed by Cloudflare or another DNS provider, edit the zone there—not in an inactive NiceNIC zone.

If NiceNIC hosts your DNS, sign in and open My Products > Domain > DNS Records for the correct domain.

Choose the record type. Enter the host/name, destination/value, and any extra fields such as MX priority or TTL.

Save, then look up the public DNS response. Examples: dig example.com A, dig example.com AAAA, dig www.example.com CNAME, dig example.com MX, and dig example.com TXT.
Test the actual website or mailbox after the new records become visible.

Avoid the common conflicts

A CNAME must not coexist with other record data at the same DNS owner name. Many DNS panels therefore do not support a normal CNAME at the zone apex (@).
An MX record points to a hostname, not directly to an IP address. That mail-server hostname must resolve correctly.
Setting an MX record does not create a mailbox. You must configure mail service separately.
TXT can be used for SPF, DKIM, DMARC and provider verification, but those are distinct tasks with their own formatting requirements.
DNS changes can be cached until previous TTL values expire. A saved record is not proof that public resolvers see it yet.

For specific email-authentication policies, see What is SPF and How to Set Up SPF?.