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If you own a domain name for your business, DNS is one of those behind-the-scenes systems you may not think about until something stops working. Your website might disappear, your email might stop arriving, or a new service might ask you to "add a TXT record" and leave you wondering what that means.
This guide explains what DNS is for domain owners in plain English. It is written for UK small business owners who need to connect a domain to a website, set up a professional email, verify online services, or make safe changes without unnecessary jargon.
DNS stands for Domain Name System. It is often described as the internet's phonebook or contact list. Instead of expecting people to remember a numeric IP address, DNS lets them type a domain name such as example.co.uk into a browser. DNS then helps find the correct server for that domain.
In practical terms, DNS tells the internet where different parts of your domain should go:
DNS works through a distributed system of servers. When someone visits your domain, their device asks DNS for the IP address. That query can involve both recursive and authoritative DNS servers. For most small business owners, the key point is simpler: your authoritative DNS records are the instructions that other systems use to find your website, email and related services.
Your domain is often the front door to your business online. If DNS records are incorrect, visitors may not reach your website, enquiries may not reach you by email, and third-party tools may fail to verify your domain.
Different services also share DNS. A common mistake is changing a website setting and accidentally disrupting email. That is why it helps to understand the basic record types before editing anything.
If you are registering a new business domain or bringing your domain and hosting together, Giraffe Hosting can help with domain name registration and hosting support in one place.
Nameservers are the servers that hold and answer for your domain's DNS records. Think of them as the place the internet asks for your domain's instructions.
Your domain registrar is the company that registers your domain. Your DNS provider is the service that hosts your DNS records. Sometimes these are the same company. Sometimes your DNS is managed by your web host, email provider, or a separate DNS service.
For example, if your domain is registered with one provider but your website is hosted elsewhere, you may either:
Changing nameservers is a bigger change than editing a single record because it affects where the entire DNS zone is managed. Before doing it, make sure the new DNS zone already contains all the records you need, including website and email records.
You do not need to know every DNS record type. The following records cover the most common small business tasks.
| Record type | What it does | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| A record | Points a domain or subdomain to an IPv4 address. | Connecting your main domain to a website hosting server. |
| CNAME record | Makes one name an alias of another name. | Pointing www to your main domain or to a hosted service. |
| MX record | Tells other mail servers where to deliver email for your domain. | Setting up professional email. |
| TXT record | Stores text information that services can read. | Domain verification and email authentication such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC. |
An A record connects a domain name to an IPv4 address. If your web host gives you a server IP address, you may be asked to point your root domain, such as example.co.uk, to that IP using an A record.
A simple website setup might look like this:
| Name | Type | Value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| @ | A | Server IP address supplied by your host | Points the main domain to the website server. |
The @symbol is commonly used in DNS control panels to refer to the root domain itself, although different control panels may display it differently.
A CNAME record makes one hostname point to another hostname. It is often used for www. For example, www.example.co.uk can point to example.co.uk, so both versions reach the same site.
| Name | Type | Value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| www | CNAME | example.co.uk | Sends the www version to the main domain. |
CNAME records are also used by hosted website builders, email marketing tools and other cloud services. Always copy the exact target value supplied by the service.
MX records, short for mail exchange records, tell the internet where email for your domain should be delivered. If you use a professional email service, that service will provide the MX records you need.
A domain can have more than one MX record. Each record normally has a priority number, which helps mail systems decide which server to try first.
| Name | Type | Value | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| @ | MX | Mail server supplied by your email provider | As supplied by the provider |
If MX records are missing or incorrect, email may not reach your inbox. Before changing nameservers or moving DNS, check that your existing MX records are copied accurately.
TXT records store text values in DNS. They are commonly used to verify that you control a domain. For example, a search, analytics, email or security service may ask you to add a TXT record containing a unique code.
TXT records are also used for email authentication, such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These records help email systems understand which services are allowed to send email for your domain and how some authentication checks should be handled.
Because TXT values can be long and precise, avoid retyping them manually if possible. Copy and paste the value from the service provider, then check for missing characters, extra spaces or quotation mark issues.
TTL stands for Time To Live. It tells DNS resolvers how long they can cache, or remember, a DNS answer before asking again.
DNS propagation is the informal phrase people use when waiting for DNS changes to be seen across different networks. A change might appear quickly for one person but take longer for someone else, depending on caching and the previous TTL. DNS changes often take effect within minutes, but they may take up to 48 hours to appear globally.
For planned changes, it can help to lower the TTL in advance, wait for the old TTL period to pass, then make the main change. After confirming everything works, you can usually raise the TTL again. If you are unsure, ask your hosting provider before making the change.
Suppose you have registered a domain and purchased web hosting. Your host provides either an IP address, nameservers, or both. The right approach depends on how you want to manage DNS.
If you are not sure where your domain is registered or which provider manages it, you can look up domain registration details using a WHOIS/RDAP lookup.
To use email addresses such as hello@example.co.uk, your email provider will usually ask you to add MX records. They may also provide TXT records for SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
The most important point is not to delete old email records until you are ready to move email delivery. If email is critical to your business, plan the change for a quiet period and keep a record of the previous settings.
Many online services ask you to prove that you control your domain. A typical method is to add a TXT record with a unique verification code.
Do not remove verification records unless the service says it is safe to do so. Some services check the record again later.
DNS changes are manageable, but small errors can cause visible problems. Before editing records, work through this checklist.
Giraffe Hosting has provided UK hosting services since 2007 and supports customers with web hosting, WordPress hosting, managed cloud hosting, VPS hosting, domains, onboarding assistance and migrations. If you are unsure about a DNS change, contact web hosting support before making it.
| Term | Plain-English meaning |
|---|---|
| DNS | The system that helps turn domain names into the technical addresses and records needed for websites, email and online services. |
| Domain name | The human-friendly address people type, such as example.co.uk. |
| Nameserver | A server that holds the DNS records for a domain. |
| A record | A DNS record that points a name to an IPv4 address. |
| CNAME record | A DNS record that makes one name an alias of another name. |
| MX record | A DNS record that tells mail systems where to deliver email. |
| TXT record | A DNS record that stores text, often for verification or email authentication. |
| SPF | An email-related TXT record specifies which services are allowed to send email for a domain. |
| DKIM | An email authentication method commonly published through DNS records. |
| DMARC | An email authentication policy record that works with SPF and DKIM. |
| TTL | Time To Live; how long DNS answers may be cached before being checked again. |
| DNS propagation | The waiting period while DNS changes become visible across different networks and cached systems. |
DNS translates human-friendly domain names into the technical information needed to reach websites, deliver email and connect online services. It means people can use a domain name instead of remembering numeric IP addresses.
Nameservers are the DNS servers that hold the records for your domain. When another system needs to know where your website or email should go, it asks your domain's authoritative nameservers.
An A record points to an IPv4 address, a CNAME record points one hostname to another hostname, an MX record controls email delivery, and a TXT record stores text used for purposes such as domain verification and email authentication.
DNS answers can be cached for a period controlled by TTL. Because different networks may keep older answers in their caches until those caches expire, changes can appear quickly in some places and later in others. Some changes may take up to 48 hours to take effect globally.
Ask for help before changing nameservers, moving email, editing MX records, or making changes to a business-critical website. A hosting provider can help you check existing records and reduce the risk of taking a website or email service offline.
