An A record maps a hostname or domain to its IPv4 address. It's the most common DNS record type and the one that makes your domain reachable.
How it works
When someone visits your domain, a DNS resolver queries your nameserver for the A record. The nameserver returns the IPv4 address (e.g. 93.184.216.34), and the client connects to that IP.
A records are stored in zone files like this:
example.com. 300 IN A 93.184.216.34
The 300 is the TTL (time-to-live) in seconds—how long resolvers cache the answer. You can have multiple A records for the same domain to enable simple round-robin load balancing across servers.
Important constraints
- One record type per name: A domain can't have both an A record and a CNAME record at the same name. Choose one.
- TTL and propagation: When you change an A record's IP, old cached values persist at resolvers until the previous TTL expires. Lower the TTL before a planned IP migration to speed the cutover.
- IPv4 only: A records only map to IPv4. If you need IPv6 support, publish AAAA records alongside your A records.
Use the DNS lookup tool to check what A records are currently published for any domain.
TipLower the record's TTL a day before you change an A record — the new IP then propagates in minutes instead of hours.