What is DNS, in plain English?
DNS stands for Domain Name System. It provides information that helps internet services find the right destination for a domain name. For your business, that can mean directing browsers to a website and identifying where incoming email should go. It is a connection system, not the website content itself.
Useful context
- Identify your domain and the provider currently managing its DNS.
- List the website, email and other tools using that domain.
How it works
One domain can have several destinations
Your public website, a booking subdomain and your email can rely on different records. Imagine a business directory with separate entries for reception, deliveries and accounts. Changing the website destination should not mean removing the entries needed for the other services.
Record types have different jobs
A and AAAA records relate names to IP addresses, CNAME records relate one name to another, and MX records identify incoming mail servers. TXT records can hold verification and email information. Their names describe different purposes rather than interchangeable ways to fix a fault.
There is an authoritative source
The domain’s authoritative nameservers provide its DNS answers. The place where you bought the domain is not necessarily where those records are edited. Before requesting a change, identify the actual DNS administrator so the instruction reaches the right account.
Some answers are remembered temporarily
Networks cache DNS answers for a time, which helps explain why a correct update can appear unevenly. However, waiting cannot fix an incorrect record. A useful fault report records the full address, time and observed result instead of assuming every problem is propagation.
What to check
- You know DNS is separate from the text and images on a page.
- The person making a change understands the website and email dependencies.
Sources and further reading
Platform features can change. Check the provider’s current guidance before changing a live service.