DNS Records Quick Reference: A, CNAME, MX, TXT/SPF, and SRV

DNS host records tell a domain where to send web, email, and verification traffic. This article shows you how to open the host records editor and add the most common record types — A and AAAA for websites, CNAME for aliases, MX for mail, TXT/SPF for email authentication, and SRV for service discovery. Each record has three parts: a host name (the prefix), a record type, and an address (the destination).

Before you begin

• The domain must use Enom's nameservers. Host records you manage at Enom only take effect when the domain points to Enom's nameservers. If it uses another provider's nameservers, make the changes there instead, or switch nameservers first. See Nameservers (NS).
• The destination values you need. Have the target IP address, hostname, or text string ready before you start (for example, your web server's IP, your mail provider's MX value, or an SPF string from your email host).

Step 1: Open host records

All record types are added from the same Host Records screen for a domain.

1. Sign in to your Enom account.
2. Click Domains, then My Domains.
3. Search for the domain or choose it from the list.
4. Choose Host records from the manage-domain dropdown.
5. Enter the host name, select the record type, enter the address, and click Save.

There are three standard host names you will use across record types:

• www — points www.example.com to the address you specify.
• @ — the naked or blank record; points the domain with no www in front.
• * — wildcard; points *.example.com (any subdomain) to the address.

A and AAAA records (websites and subdomains)

An A record points a host name to an IPv4 address; an AAAA record points it to an IPv6 address. Use these to send your domain or a subdomain to a web server.

1. Enter the host name (for example, www, @, or a subdomain prefix such as shop).
2. Select A address (IPv4) or AAAA address (IPv6).
3. Enter the destination IP and click Save. Do not put the domain name itself in the host name field when creating a subdomain.

CNAME records (aliases)

A CNAME points a host name to another domain or subdomain rather than to an IP address. Use it to alias one name to another (for example, pointing a subdomain to a hosted service's hostname).

1. Enter the host name to alias.
2. Select CNAME.
3. Enter the target hostname and click Save.

MX records (email)

An MX record points your domain to its mail server; you must have an MX record for email to work. If Enom is your email provider, the MX value follows the form mx.yourdomain.cust.a.hostedemail.com (note: hostedemail, not hostedmail), set under Email settings > User (MX).

1. For a non-Enom mail provider, add an MX record in Host records with the value your provider supplies.
2. Set the priority when your provider lists more than one mail server: a lower number is tried first, so primary servers get lower priority values than backups.
3. Click Save.

TXT and SPF records (email authentication)

A TXT record stores a text string at a host name. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC values are all published as TXT records. An SPF record lists which servers may send mail for your domain. If Enom is your email provider, an SPF record is entered automatically in this form:

v=spf1 include:_spf.emfwd.name-services.com MX ~all

1. In Host records, click Add SRV or SPF record, then Add an SPF record (or select the TXT record type for a general TXT/DKIM/DMARC entry).
2. Enter the text string and click Save.

SRV records (service discovery)

An SRV record advertises the host and port for a specific service (such as VoIP or chat). Add it from Add SRV or SPF record. SRV records use the following fields:

Record type reference

Use this matrix to pick the right record for the job.

Next steps

• Setting Up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for Enom Hosted Email — configure full email authentication for domains on Enom Hosted Email.
• Managing DNSSEC — add an extra layer of DNS security to protect against domain hijacking.

Questions? Contact Enom Support.