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Resource record types

Resource records provide information about the underlying components of your domain, such as your web host or email provider.

When someone goes to your website, or uses your domain name to send or receive email, resource records ensure all pieces connect and the website works properly. Resource records can also improve website security and authenticate domain name ownership.

When you add a resource record in Google Domains, you must complete the following fields:

  • Host name
  • Type
  • Time-To-Live (TTL)
  • Data

For details on what to include, refer to the service provider referenced in the record. For example, email servers entered as part of an MX record are defined by your email service provider, such as Google Workspace.

Learn about records for web hosting

A

Internet Protocol (IP) addresses are numeric addresses for devices connected to the internet, such as servers and computers. When you create a website, an A or AAAA record defines the IP address of the web host.

There are 2 versions of IP addresses on the internet: IPv4 and IPv6. “A records” only hold IPv4 addresses. “AAAA records” only hold IPv6 addresses. To determine what IP address to use in an A record, contact your web host.

Here’s an example of how to format an A record in Google Domains:

Host name Type TTL Data
@ A 1H 123.123.123.123
Important: The @ indicates the resource record applies to your domain name, such as example.com. For more information on the “Host name” field, visit Manage resource records.
AAAA

Internet Protocol (IP) addresses are numeric addresses for devices connected to the internet, such as servers and computers. When you create a website, an A or AAAA record defines the IP address of the website.

There are 2 versions of IP addresses on the internet: IPv4 and IPv6. “AAAA records” only hold IPv6 addresses. “A records” only hold IPv4 addresses. To determine what IP address to use in an AAAA record, contact your web host.

Here’s an example of how to format an AAAA record in Google Domains:

Host name Type TTL Data
@ AAAA 1H 2002:db80:1:2:3:4:567:89ab
Important: The @ indicates the resource record applies to your domain name, such as example.com. For more information on the “Host name” field, visit Manage resource records.
ALIAS

ALIAS records are implemented via Google Cloud DNS (other DNS providers may refer to the ALIAS records as ANAME records). They behave like CNAME records, but can be used at the root domain whereas CNAMEs can only be used on subdomains. Learn more about ALIAS records.

In this example, the domain name otherdomain.com exists with the following A record:

Host name

Type

TTL

Data

@

A

1H

123.123.123.123

If you want your domain, example.com, to use the same IP address as otherdomain.com, you can create the following ALIAS record:

Host name

Type

TTL

Data

@

ALIAS

1H

otherdomain.com.

Important:

  • The @ indicates that the resource record applies to your domain name, such as example.com. For more info on the “Host name” field, learn how to manage resource records. Since ALIAS records can only be applied to the root domain, you don’t have to enter anything in the host name field.
  • The “.” at the end of example.com isn't a mistake. It provides a fully qualified domain name.
  • ALIAS records cannot be used on subdomains.
  • ALIAS records cannot be used on a domain with DNSSEC enabled. For more info on DNSSEC, learn how to set up DNSSEC and DNS security.
CNAME

Whereas A and AAAA records provide a direct link between a domain or subdomain and a web host IP address, CNAME (Canonical Name) records indicate how to find a host IP address by pointing to another resource record. In this way, a CNAME record acts like an alias.

In this example, you have a domain name example.com with the following A record:

Host name Type TTL Data
@ A 1H 123.123.123.123

Important: The @ indicates the resource record applies to your domain name, such as example.com. For more information on the “Host name” field, visit Manage resource records.

If you want to make sure the same IP address is used when www.example.com is looked up on the internet, create the following CNAME record:

Host name Type TTL Data
www CNAME 1H example.com.
Important: 
  • www is interpreted as a prefix for a domain name, such as example.com. For more information on the “Host name” field, visit Manage resource records.
  • The “.” at the end of example.com isn't a mistake. It provides a fully-qualified domain name.

Learn about records for email

MX

When you use your domain name in email addresses, such as you@example.com, an MX (Mail Exchange) record specifies the email server that handles these messages. For example, if you use Google Workspace to manage email for your company, MX records are used to connect the 2 services and allow your emails to be sent and received. To determine what information to provide in the “Data” field of an MX record, contact your email service provider.

Here’s an example of how to format an MX record in Google Domains:

Host name Type TTL Data
@ MX 1H mailhost1.example.com.
Important:
  • @ indicates that the resource record applies to your domain name, such as example.com. For more information on the “Host name” field, visit Manage resource records.
  • The “.” at the end of mailhost1.example.com isn't a mistake but is necessary to provide a fully-qualified domain name.

Multiple MX records can be set up for a domain. This is done to make sure that if there’s a problem with access on one mail server, the other servers can make sure you still can send and receive email.

When you include multiple MX records, you should indicate your preference for which to try first, second, and so on. This is called setting a priority. The lower the number, the higher the priority. For example, 1 has higher priority than 10.

Google Domains does not provide a separate field for the priority number. To specify a priority number, enter the value in the “Data” field, then the email host.

Here’s an example of how to format multiple MX records with priorities in Google Domains:

Host name Type TTL Data
@ MX 1H 1 mailhost1.example.com.
@ MX 1H 2 mailhost2.example.com.

In the example above, if mail can't be delivered with mailhost1.example.com (higher priority), then mailhost2.example.com (lower priority) is used.

SPF

The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) provides a way to authenticate email sent from your domain name. When a mail server gets mail from your domain, it refers to SPF records to verify the mail is from you.

In Google Domains, use a Text (TXT) record type to define your SPF records. The “Data” field should include the SPF tag v=spf1 and other SPF qualifiers, mechanisms, and modifiers.

Here’s an example in Google Domains:

Host name Type TTL Data
@ TXT 1H v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
Important: The @ indicates the resource record applies to your domain name, such as example.com. For more information on the “Host name” field, visit Manage resource records.
For more information on how to format SPF records, refer to RFC 7208.

Learn about records for name servers

NS

An NS (Name Server) record indicates where to find other resource records for your domain name. When you buy a domain name through Google Domains, name servers are provided without additional cost and are automatically set up. 

You can also set up custom name servers. When you use custom name servers, you manage and modify most of your resource records through your name server provider. Learn how to manage domain name servers.

SOA

A SOA (Start of Authority) record stores information about your domain. It helps manage traffic between name servers, such as the administrator’s email address and the domain’s last update.

When you buy a domain name through Google Domains, name servers are provided for you without additional cost. SOA records are automatically set up for you.

Learn about records for security

CAA

A CAA (Certification Authority Authorization) record lets you control who can issue SSL/TLS certificates for your website. CAA records can help secure certificate issuance against those who try to impersonate your domain name.

Here’s an example of a CAA record that restricts certificate issuance to Let’s Encrypt, a Certificate Authority (CA):

Host name Type TTL Data
@ CAA 1H 0 issue letsencrypt.org
Important: The @ indicates the resource record applies to your domain name, such as example.com. For more information on the “Host name” field, visit Manage resource records.
For more information on how to format CAA records, including the role of “0” and “issue” in this example, refer to RFC 8659.
DNSKEY
A DNS Public Key (DNSKEY) record contains a public signing key to:
  • Facilitate Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC).
  • Prevent fake resource records from being inserted when information is exchanged between devices.
If you use Google Domains’ default name servers, you don’t need to set up DNSKEY records to enable DNSSEC. Learn how to set up DNSSEC security.
DS
Important: Some domains may use a different type of security record, such as a DNS Public Key (DNSKEY).
A Delegation Signer (DS) record contains a hash or one-way scrambling of a DNSKEY record to facilitate Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC).
DNSSEC secures the Domain Name System (DNS) and prevents fake resource records from being inserted when information is exchanged between devices.
If you use Google Domains’ default name servers, you don’t need to set up DS records to enable DNSSEC. Learn how to set up DNSSEC security.
PTR

A PTR (Pointer) record is the opposite of an A or AAAA record. Whereas A and AAAA records provide the IP address associated with a domain name, a PTR record provides the domain name associated with an IP address. PTR records are used in reverse DNS lookups, often to double-check that information provided by a domain name is trustworthy.

Usually, you don't manage PTR records through Google Domains. PTR records are typically set by the owner of your IP address (your Internet Service Provider or ISP). But the owner of your IP address may delegate the responsibility to manage reverse DNS lookups to you. In this case, you would have to add a corresponding PTR record in Google Domains.

In this example, you have an A record:

Host name Type TTL Data
www A 1H 111.222.33.4


And the owner of your IP address delegates reverse DNS lookup responsibility to you with a CNAME record.

Important: The order of the 4 numbers comprising the IP address are reversed.

Host name Type TTL Data
4.33.222.111.in-addr.arpa. CNAME 1H ptr_www.example.com.


After this is done, set the following PTR record In Google Domains:

Host name Type TTL Data
ptr_www PTR 1H www.example.com.
Important: The “.” at the end of ptr_www.example.com and www.example.com isn't a mistake. It provides a fully-qualified domain name.
SSHFP

A Secure Shell Fingerprint (SSHFP) record verifies the trustworthiness of the machines you connect to through Secure Shell (SSH).

Here’s an example of how to format an SSHFP record in Google Domains:

Host name Type TTL Data
@ SSHFP 1H 2 1 123456789abcdef67890123456789abcdef67890
Important: The @ indicates the resource record applies to your domain name, such as example.com. For more information on the “Host name” field, visit Manage resource records.
For more information on how to format SSHFP records, including the role of “2” and “1” in this example, refer to RFC 4255.
TLSA
A TLSA (Transport Layer Security Authentication) record is a way to validate SSL or TLS certificates even if there’s a breach of security to the Certificate Authority (CA).

For more information on how to structure a TLSA resource record, refer to:

Learn about other record types

TXT

A TXT record can be used to record human or machine readable notes. Although text records can contain arbitrary notes, they can also serve more active purposes, like to verify domain name ownership.

Here’s an example of how to format a TXT record in Google Domains:

Host name Type TTL Data
@ TXT  1H This is my domain
Important: The @ indicates the resource record applies to your domain name, such as example.com. For more information on the “Host name” field, visit Manage resource records.

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