DNS (Domain Name System) is a critical component of the internet that helps users connect to websites and services by translating domain names (such as cleanbrowsing.org) into IP addresses (such as 51.161.115.44). DNS does this by storing information about the domain (e.g., cleanbrowsing.org) in what is known as “records”.
Think of these records as attributes of the domain, similar to what you might think about as a person. You might have a record about your age, height, weight, home address, etc..
This article will explore the top records you should be familiar with, and shed light into what you might see in your CleanBrowsing dashboard, or when analyzing DNS requests.
| Record Type | Description |
|---|---|
| A | An A record maps a domain name to an IP address, specially an IPv4 address. This record type is used to identify the web server that hosts a particular website or service. For example, if you want to access cleanbrowsing.org, your computer needs to know the IP address of the web server that hosts that website. Think of this as the physical address for the domain, without this the browser would not know where to get the domain. |
| AAAA | An AAAA record is identical to the A record in that it points the request to the domains location on the internet, but it stores IPv6 values |
| HTTPS | This is a relatively new record type that delivers configuration information for a domain via the HTTPS protocol. |
| CNAME | A CNAME (Canonical Name) record is used to create an alias for a domain name. This record type is useful when you want to use multiple domain names for the same website or service. For example, if you want to use both cleanbrowsing.org and www.cleanbrowsing.org for your website, you can create a CNAME record that maps www.cleanbrowsing.org to cleanbrowsing.org. |
| MX | An MX (Mail Exchange) record is used to identify the email server responsible for receiving emails sent to a domain name. This record type is crucial for ensuring that emails are delivered correctly. For example, if you want to receive emails sent to cleanbrowsing.org, your email server needs to know which server is responsible for handling those emails. An MX record provides that information. |
| TXT | A TXT (Text) record is used to store text-based information about a domain name. This record type can be used for various purposes, such as verifying domain ownership, providing information to email servers, or storing SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records that help prevent email spoofing. |
| NS | An NS (Name Server) record is used to identify the DNS servers responsible for a particular domain name. This record type is essential for ensuring that DNS queries for a domain name are directed to the correct servers. For example, if you want to know the IP address of example.com, your computer needs to send a DNS query to the DNS servers responsible for that domain. An NS record provides the information needed to locate those servers. |
All these records are stores in the “zone” file for a domain and managed by Authoritative DNS service providers. Think of this zone file like a folder in a cabinet that holds all the critical information for that domain.
In the CleanBrowsing dashboard you will see record types via the Activity panel, and it will look something like this:
