Chapter 5 · 5.1
What is DNS and when do you change it?
DNS is the phone book of the internet. Computers don't find each other by name but by number: an IP address such as 185.158.164.143. DNS translates your domain name into those numbers. If someone types yourdomain.com, the browser asks the DNS where that website is located. If someone sends you an email, the mail server asks the DNS where the email should go.
The DNS of a domain consists of a list of rules: the records. Each record has a name, a type and a value.
The most important records
| Type | What is it for? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | Which IPv4 address a name points to (your website). | yourdomain.com points to 185.158.164.143 |
| AAAA | The same, but for an IPv6 address. | yourdomain.com points to 2a07:ae80:... |
| CNAME | A name that points to another name. | shop.yourdomain.com points to shops.exampleplatform.com |
| MX | Which server receives your email. | mail for yourdomain.com goes to linux2023.webawere.nl |
| TXT | Text, for verification and for email security (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). | v=spf1 a mx include:webawere.nl ~all |
| NS | Which nameservers manage the DNS of the domain. | ns1.webawere.nl and ns2.webawere.nl |
| CAA | Which parties may issue SSL certificates for your domain. | letsencrypt.org |
| SRV | Where a particular service runs, for example for Teams or telephony. | _sip._tls |
For CAA and SRV records, My WebOké has helper fields that make filling them in easier, see DNS helpers: MX, SPF, DMARC, CAA and SRV.
Do I need to change the DNS myself?
Usually not. If your domain is with WebOké and is part of a hosting package, we set up all the records correctly for you: your website, your email, SPF, DKIM and DMARC. You only need to change the DNS if:
- another party asks you to, such as Google, Microsoft, a newsletter service or a webshop platform. They'll tell you exactly which record to create;
- your email runs elsewhere, for example with Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace (see E-mail with Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, website with WebOké);
- your website runs elsewhere, but your email is with us (see Your website on Shopify, Wix or Squarespace, your domain and email with WebOké);
- you want to point a subdomain to another service.
Please note: A small mistake in the DNS can bring down your website or email. Only change what you really need to, and write down what was there before you make any changes. In My WebOké, you can also make a backup of your DNS first (see DNS in My WebOké and with external name servers such as Cloudflare).
Where do you manage the DNS?
That depends on your domain's nameservers:
- ns1.webawere.nl and ns2.webawere.nl (WebOké's nameservers): you manage the DNS in DirectAdmin under DNS Administration, or in My WebOké under My Domains, DNS tab. These two show the same records.
- Other nameservers, for example from Cloudflare or the party where your domain is registered: in that case, changes in DirectAdmin have no effect. You change the DNS with that party instead (see DNS in My WebOké and with external name servers such as Cloudflare).