DNS
The Domain Name System: the internet's address book, which turns your domain name into the servers that run your website and receive your email.
DNS, the Domain Name System, is how the internet finds things. When someone types your web address or sends you an email, DNS looks up your domain and returns the right destination: the server for your website, or the service that handles your email.
Your domain’s DNS is a short list of records, called a zone. The common ones are A records for your website, MX records for email, CNAME records that point one name to another, and TXT records for things like SPF, DKIM and Google verification.
Why it matters to a small business
DNS is where your website and email meet. A single wrong change can take your site offline or stop email arriving, even though nothing is wrong with the website or mailbox themselves. Moving hosts, switching email providers and setting up Google tools all involve DNS changes.
Example
A bakery moves its website to a new host. The new host asks them to change their DNS. If they update only the A record, the website moves and email keeps working. If they switch nameservers without copying the MX records, the website works but email stops.
Learn more
- What is DNS, and why does it affect my email and website?
- How to change DNS records without breaking email
- Why DNS changes take time to show up
- Check your domain with the free domain and SSL checker, or see managed hosting.
Rather talk it through?
Call our team, or send a note and we’ll reply within one business day. No pressure and no jargon.