Most day-to-day DNS work comes down to three record types. Here's what each one actually does.
| Type | Points a name to | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| A | An IPv4 address | Your root domain or a subdomain pointing straight at a server |
| CNAME | Another hostname | An alias, like www pointing at your root domain |
| MX | A mail server hostname, with a priority | Telling the internet where to deliver email for your domain |
A records
An A record maps a name directly to an IPv4 address. Your root domain (yourdomain.com) almost always needs one pointing at your hosting account's IP, found in Domains → DNS in your account.
CNAME records
A CNAME is an alias, it points one name at another name rather than at an IP directly. www.yourdomain.com is commonly a CNAME pointing back at yourdomain.com, so both resolve to the same place without duplicating the IP. One rule worth knowing: a CNAME can't coexist with any other record type on the exact same name, including at the root domain, which is why root domains use an A record instead.
MX records
MX records tell the internet which server handles email for your domain, and in what order to try them. Lower priority numbers are tried first. If you're using a separate email provider (Google Workspace, for example) while hosting the site itself with Anomica, your MX records point at that provider while your A record still points at Anomica, the two aren't related.