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A simple explanation of DNS A records, how they point a domain to an IP address and when you need to edit them.
An A record is one of the most important DNS records for a domain. It tells the internet which IPv4 address a domain or subdomain should point to. In simple terms, it connects a name such as yourbusiness.co.uk to the server where your website is hosted.
You will usually deal with A records when setting up web hosting, moving a website to a new host, pointing a subdomain to a server, or fixing a domain that is not loading the correct website.
This guide explains what an A record is, how it works, when you should change it, how it differs from nameservers and CNAME records, and what to check before editing DNS.
The readable name, such as yourbusiness.co.uk.
Points the domain to an IPv4 server address.
The server that stores and runs your website.
An A record is a DNS record that points a domain or subdomain to an IPv4 address. For example, it can tell yourbusiness.co.uk to load a website from your hosting server’s IP address. A records are commonly used when connecting a domain to web hosting.
If nameservers decide where DNS is managed, the A record is one of the instructions that tells your domain where the website lives.
An A record points a domain name to an IPv4 address. IPv4 addresses are numbers such as 192.0.2.10. Website visitors do not want to type server IP addresses, so DNS lets them type a friendly domain name instead.
When someone enters your domain into a browser, DNS checks the active records for that domain. If the domain has an A record, that record tells the browser which IPv4 address to connect to.
This is why A records are so important for web hosting. If the A record points to the wrong IP address, the domain may show the wrong website, a holding page, an error page or no website at all.
Someone types yourbusiness.co.uk into their browser.
The active DNS zone gives the server’s IPv4 address.
The browser connects to the hosting server at that IP address.
A typical A record contains a hostname and an IPv4 address. The hostname tells DNS which part of the domain the record applies to. The value tells DNS which IP address it should point to.
For example, the root domain yourbusiness.co.uk could have an A record pointing to your web hosting server. The www version may have its own A record or a CNAME record pointing back to the main domain.
| Host / Name | Record type | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
@ |
A | 192.0.2.10 |
The main domain points to this server IP address. |
www |
A | 192.0.2.10 |
The www version points to the same server IP address. |
app |
A | 192.0.2.20 |
The subdomain app.yourbusiness.co.uk points to a different server. |
In many DNS control panels, the @ symbol means the root domain. For example, if your domain is yourbusiness.co.uk, an A record with the host @ usually applies to yourbusiness.co.uk itself.
The www host usually applies to www.yourbusiness.co.uk. A host such as shop would apply to shop.yourbusiness.co.uk.
Different DNS providers display this slightly differently. Some use @, some show the full domain, and some leave the root host blank. The meaning is usually the same.
If your DNS editor asks for the host or name and you want to point the main domain, look for @, the full domain name, or a blank root field depending on the provider.
You would usually change an A record when you want a domain or subdomain to point to a different server. This often happens when launching a website, moving hosting provider, creating a staging site, connecting a custom platform or moving a subdomain to a separate application.
Changing an A record is more targeted than changing nameservers. It changes one DNS instruction rather than moving the whole DNS zone to another provider.
This makes A record changes useful when you want to keep DNS management where it is, but point the website to a new hosting server.
Nameservers tell the internet where your DNS records are managed. A records are individual DNS records inside that active DNS zone. This means you need to edit the A record wherever your active nameservers point.
This is a common source of confusion. You may edit an A record at your domain registrar, but if your domain is using your hosting provider’s nameservers, the registrar’s DNS editor may not be active.
Before changing an A record, check which nameservers your domain currently uses. Then edit DNS records in the correct control panel.
If your A record change is not working, you may be editing DNS in the wrong place. Check the active nameservers first, then update the DNS zone controlled by those nameservers.
A records and CNAME records are both used to point names, but they work differently. An A record points directly to an IPv4 address. A CNAME record points one hostname to another hostname.
For example, the main domain may use an A record to point to your hosting server. The www version may use a CNAME record pointing to the main domain.
You should usually use an A record when you are given an IP address. You should usually use a CNAME when you are given another hostname to point to.
| Record type | Points to | Example use |
|---|---|---|
| A record | IPv4 address. | yourbusiness.co.uk points to 192.0.2.10. |
| CNAME record | Another hostname. | www points to yourbusiness.co.uk. |
| AAAA record | IPv6 address. | A domain points to an IPv6 server address. |
| MX record | Mail server hostname. | Email is delivered to your email hosting provider. |
An A record points to an IPv4 address. An AAAA record points to an IPv6 address. Both can be used to connect a domain to a server, but they use different IP address formats.
Many hosting setups still use A records because IPv4 is widely supported. Some modern setups also use AAAA records for IPv6 support.
If your hosting provider gives you an IPv4 address, use an A record. If they give you an IPv6 address, use an AAAA record. If they provide both, you may need both record types.
A records are commonly used to connect domains to web hosting. Your hosting provider may give you an IP address and ask you to point your domain to it. This usually means creating or updating an A record.
If your website is hosted with Website Hosts UK, your domain needs to point to the correct hosting server. Depending on your setup, this may involve nameservers, an A record, or both.
If you are setting up a website, compare our UK Web Hosting, WordPress Hosting and Small Business Hosting options.
www record as well.www version.A records are mainly used for website and server pointing. Email delivery is usually controlled by MX records, not A records. This is important because changing an A record for your website should not normally move your email by itself.
However, website and email can still be connected indirectly. If your email service uses mail-related hostnames such as mail.yourbusiness.co.uk, those hostnames may have A or CNAME records. Changing the wrong DNS records could affect email access or mail server names.
If you use domain-based email, be careful not to delete MX, SPF, DKIM or DMARC records when editing DNS. If you need professional email, visit our Business Email Hosting page.
Usually handled by A and CNAME records.
Usually handled by MX records.
Usually handled by SPF, DKIM and DMARC TXT records.
A record changes can take time to appear everywhere because DNS records are cached by resolvers and networks. This delay is commonly called DNS propagation.
Some people may see the new website quickly, while others may continue seeing the old server for a while. This can happen during hosting moves and DNS updates.
You can use our DNS Propagation Checker to monitor changes and our DNS Lookup tool to inspect current records.
If you have just changed an A record, do not assume it has failed immediately. Check the record, confirm it was edited in the active DNS zone, then allow time for DNS caches to update.
TTL stands for Time To Live. It tells DNS resolvers how long they should cache a DNS record before checking again. A lower TTL can make future changes refresh more quickly, while a higher TTL can reduce repeated lookups.
If you are planning a website migration, it can be useful to lower the TTL before the move. This may help the A record change spread more quickly when you switch to the new server.
After the move is complete and everything is stable, the TTL can usually be returned to a normal value. Always follow your hosting or DNS provider’s guidance if you are unsure.
If an A record is wrong, the domain may point to the wrong server. This can cause the wrong website to appear, a server error, a parking page, an SSL warning or a browser connection error.
Sometimes the A record is correct, but the hosting server is not configured for the domain. In that case, DNS may be pointing correctly, but the web server does not know how to serve the website.
When troubleshooting, check both sides: the DNS record and the hosting setup.
www version works but the root domain does not.www record?SSL certificates help your website load securely over HTTPS. A records do not create SSL certificates by themselves, but they can affect whether SSL works correctly.
If your A record points to the wrong server, the SSL certificate on the correct hosting account may not be used. Visitors may see a certificate warning or the website may fail to load securely.
After changing an A record, check HTTPS once DNS has propagated. You can use our SSL Checker to inspect the certificate.
You can check an A record using a DNS lookup tool. Enter the domain name and look for the A record result. This should show the IPv4 address currently returned by DNS.
If you are troubleshooting, check both the root domain and the www version. They may use different records.
You can use our DNS Lookup tool to inspect records and our DNS Propagation Checker after making changes.
www record.A small business registers a domain and buys web hosting. The hosting provider gives them a server IP address. To connect the domain to the website, they create an A record for the root domain pointing to that IP address.
They also set up the www version, either using another A record or a CNAME. Once DNS updates, visitors can type the domain and reach the new website.
A business moves its website from an old host to a new host. Instead of changing nameservers, it keeps DNS where it is and updates only the A record to point to the new hosting server IP.
This can be a clean way to move the website while leaving email and other DNS records untouched. The business still needs to test SSL, forms, redirects and website behaviour after the change.
A business has its main website at yourbusiness.co.uk, but wants app.yourbusiness.co.uk to load a separate customer portal. It can create an A record for app pointing to the portal server’s IP address.
This allows the main website and customer portal to run on different servers while still using the same business domain.
Before changing an A record, make sure you know the correct IP address, where DNS is managed, and what the current record is. If you are moving hosting, keep a copy of the old record in case you need to roll back.
Also make sure the new hosting server is ready before changing DNS. The website files, database, SSL, redirects and domain configuration should be prepared first.
For business-critical websites, avoid making DNS changes right before a busy sales period or important campaign unless absolutely necessary.
www version.One common mistake is editing DNS in the wrong place. If your domain uses your hosting provider’s nameservers, changes made at your registrar may not affect the live DNS zone.
Another mistake is changing the root domain but forgetting the www version. This can make one version of the website work while the other fails.
It is also important not to confuse A records with MX records. A records usually point websites and hostnames to IP addresses. MX records control email delivery.
www record.Before pointing an A record to a server, make sure the domain extension fits the website or project you are launching.
An A record is a DNS record that points a domain or subdomain to an IPv4 address, usually so the domain can load a website from a hosting server.
Not usually. Email delivery is normally controlled by MX records. However, some mail-related hostnames may also use A or CNAME records.
An A record points to an IPv4 address. A CNAME points one hostname to another hostname.
Edit the A record wherever your active nameservers point. This may be your domain registrar, hosting provider or DNS provider.
It depends on DNS caching and TTL settings. Some changes appear quickly, while others take longer to propagate across different networks.
Yes, different hostnames can have different A records. For example, the root domain, www and app can each point to different IP addresses.
If you need web hosting for your domain, compare our UK Web Hosting, WordPress Hosting and Small Business Hosting options.
Need a domain first? Visit our Domain Services. If you also need professional email, explore Business Email Hosting.
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Check active nameservers.
Update the correct A record.
Test website, SSL and forms.
An A record is a DNS record that points a domain or subdomain to an IPv4 address. It is one of the most common records used when connecting a domain to web hosting.
The most important thing is to edit the A record in the right DNS zone. Check your active nameservers first, confirm the correct server IP address, and remember that DNS changes may take time to propagate.
Used correctly, an A record gives you precise control over where your website or subdomain points without needing to move all DNS management to another provider.
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