# DNS Records A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT and NS in Plain Words

> What each DNS record type does, which ones a site and mail need, how they are set in the Riki Domains bot and how long updates take.

- Language: en
- Published: 2026-11-01 · Updated: 2026-11-01
- HTML: https://rikidomains.at/en/glossary/dns-records/
- Markdown: https://rikidomains.at/en/glossary/dns-records/index.md
- RU version: https://rikidomains.at/ru/glossary/dns-records/

DNS records tell the internet where a domain leads: which server receives visitors, where mail is delivered and who confirms ownership.

## Record types

- **A**: the server's IPv4 address. The main record for a site: `@` for the domain root, `www` for a subdomain.
- **AAAA**: the same for IPv6.
- **CNAME**: an alias to another name, for example `www` → `example.com` or a subdomain pointing to a hosting address. It cannot be set on the domain root together with other records.
- **MX**: the domain's mail servers with priorities. Without MX, mail to the domain does not arrive.
- **TXT**: free text: ownership verification for services, SPF and DMARC for mail.
- **NS**: the nameservers responsible for the domain. They change when DNS moves, for example to Cloudflare.

## How they are set in the Riki Domains bot

My domains → domain → DNS Manager → record type. The input format is uniform: `@value` for the root and `subdomain@value` for a subdomain, for example `@203.0.113.10` or `mail@203.0.113.10`.

## How long it takes

New records are usually visible within minutes; changes to existing ones take up to several hours because of caching at providers. If the domain is behind Cloudflare, records are managed there and only the NS are changed in the bot.

> [Open the bot](https://t.me/riki_domains_bot?start=d16)

## FAQ

**Do I need an AAAA record if I have an A record?**

No, the site works over IPv4. AAAA is added when the server has an IPv6 address.

**Why does the site not open right after adding an A record?**

Because of DNS caching. Check the record through a third-party service and wait; usually a few minutes is enough, rarely hours.