A Record vs CNAME

An A record maps a hostname directly to an IPv4 address. A CNAME record maps one hostname to another hostname.

A record

Use an A record when you want a hostname to point straight to an IPv4 address.

Use a CNAME when one hostname should act as an alias of another hostname, such as www pointing to a canonical host.

You generally should not place a CNAME at the zone apex on traditional DNS setups, because other records are usually needed there.

A Record Lookup Inspect direct IPv4 mappings for hostnames. CNAME Lookup Review alias chains and canonical targets. DNS Lookup See broader record context beyond one record type. Website IP Finder Resolve websites to public IP infrastructure.

A Record vs AAAA Record Compare IPv4 and IPv6 hostname mapping. CNAME vs HTTP Redirect Separate DNS aliasing from application-level redirects. DNS Propagation vs DNS Cache Understand why DNS changes can look inconsistent.

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