Santekno/tools

DNS Records Cheatsheet

Reference for all common DNS record types (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, SRV, CAA, DNSSEC).

Processed in your browserUpdated · Jan 2026
DNS Records15
Atype 1
Maps a hostname to an IPv4 address.
example.com. 3600 IN A 93.184.216.34
AAAAtype 28
Maps a hostname to an IPv6 address.
example.com. 3600 IN AAAA 2606:2800:220:1::
CNAMEtype 5
Aliases one name to another. Resolver follows the alias to find the actual record.
www.example.com. 3600 IN CNAME example.com.
💡 Cannot coexist with other records at the same name.
MXtype 15
Mail exchanger — specifies the mail server for a domain.
example.com. 3600 IN MX 10 mail.example.com.
💡 The number is priority — lower is preferred.
TXTtype 16
Free-form text. Used for SPF, DKIM, domain verification, etc.
example.com. 3600 IN TXT "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all"
NStype 2
Name server — delegates a DNS zone to authoritative name servers.
example.com. 86400 IN NS ns1.example.com.
SRVtype 33
Service record — defines location (hostname + port) for services.
_sip._tcp.example.com. 86400 IN SRV 10 60 5060 sipserver.example.com.
PTRtype 12
Pointer record — used for reverse DNS (IP to hostname).
34.216.184.93.in-addr.arpa. 3600 IN PTR example.com.
SOAtype 6
Start of Authority — admin info and version of the zone.
example.com. 3600 IN SOA ns1.example.com. admin.example.com. 2024010101 7200 3600 1209600 86400
CAAtype 257
Certificate Authority Authorization — which CAs can issue certs for this domain.
example.com. 3600 IN CAA 0 issue "letsencrypt.org"
DNSKEYtype 48
DNSSEC public key for signing zone data.
example.com. 3600 IN DNSKEY 256 3 8 AwEAAa...
DStype 43
Delegation signer — hash of the DNSKEY of a child zone, used for DNSSEC delegation.
example.com. 86400 IN DS 12345 8 2 ABCDEF...
TLSAtype 52
TLSA — pins a TLS certificate or public key to a domain (DANE).
_443._tcp.example.com. 3600 IN TLSA 3 1 1 ABCDEF...
HTTPStype 65
Modern record describing HTTPS service parameters (HTTP/3, ECH).
example.com. 3600 IN HTTPS 1 . alpn="h3,h2"
SVCBtype 64
Service binding — generic version of HTTPS for non-HTTP protocols.
_example._foo.example.com. 3600 IN SVCB 1 svc.example.net.
15 of 15 record types

How to use DNS Records Cheatsheet

Paste your input on the left, choose the options you want, and the output appears instantly on the right. Everything runs in your browser — none of your data is sent to a server.

  • Paste or type your input in the INPUT panel
  • The output regenerates automatically as you type
  • Use Copy to put the result in your clipboard
  • Click Sample to load a working example

What is DNS Records Cheatsheet?

Quick reference for DNS record types with examples and notes. Useful for setting up email (MX/TXT/SPF/DKIM), CDN (CNAME/HTTPS), reverse DNS (PTR), or DNSSEC. Each record shows the IANA number, syntax, and typical use case. This tool is part of santekno's developer toolbox — a curated collection of utilities built for engineers who care about speed, privacy, and simplicity.

Common use cases

  • Debugging API payloads and integration issues
  • Inspecting tokens, hashes, or encoded strings during development
  • Generating fixtures and sample data for tests
  • Sharing readable output with teammates in code reviews

FAQ

A points to an IP. CNAME points to another name (which resolves to an IP). CNAME adds an extra lookup.

Per RFC, no — CNAME cannot coexist with SOA/NS records required at the apex. Use ALIAS/ANAME (provider-specific) or HTTPS records.

Lower number = higher priority. Mail servers try the lowest first; equal priorities split load.

CAA tells which Certificate Authorities are allowed to issue TLS certificates for your domain — protects against rogue cert issuance.

DNSSEC cryptographically signs DNS responses so resolvers can verify they weren't tampered with. Uses DNSKEY, DS, RRSIG, NSEC records.