How to read a DNS record
Every record has four parts: a name (the Host field), a type, a value and a TTL. In Namecheap's Advanced DNS tab you add a record with Add New Record and fill those fields in a single row. [1]
The Host field causes most mistakes. Namecheap says to put @ for the bare domain and, for a subdomain, only the subdomain name without the domain itself: www, not www.example.com. [1] If you paste the full name, many hosts append the domain again and you end up with www.example.com.example.com, which nobody looks up.
| Typed in Host | Resulting name (domain example.com) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| @ | example.com | Website A record, MX, SPF TXT |
| www | www.example.com | Website CNAME or A record |
| email.example.com | Newsletter sending subdomain | |
| _dmarc | _dmarc.example.com | DMARC policy TXT |
| privateemail._domainkey | privateemail._domainkey.example.com | Namecheap Private Email DKIM TXT (newer subscriptions) [5] |
| * | Any undefined subdomain | Wildcard catch-all [1] |
A and AAAA: point a name at a server
An A record associates a host with an IPv4 address and AAAA with an IPv6 address. [1] Cloudflare's example is www.example.com A 192.0.2.1 with a TTL of 3600; an AAAA value looks like 2001:db8::1. Cloudflare stores IPv6 in its shortest canonical form, so fe80::0:0:1 is returned as fe80::1. [2]
Used by: websites on a server or host that gives you an IP. What breaks when wrong: the site loads the old server, a parked page or nothing. If you have both A and AAAA records and only update the A record after a move, visitors on IPv6 networks keep reaching the old server, which looks like an intermittent fault.
CNAME and ALIAS: point a name at another name
A CNAME associates one host name with another host name. [1] Its value must be a fully qualified domain name such as www.another-example.com, not an IP address. [2] RFC 2181 says a name holding a CNAME may have no other data apart from DNSSEC records, so a single name has either one CNAME or other records, never both. [4]
That rule explains Namecheap's warning: do not set a CNAME on the naked domain (@), because it may affect the domain's MX records. [1] For the root, Namecheap offers ALIAS (ANAME), which points a domain to another name and can coexist with other records on that name. [1]
Used by: www pointing to a hosting platform, and many email platforms' DKIM and link-tracking records. What breaks when wrong: a CNAME added on a name that already has TXT or MX records can hide them, and a CNAME pointing to a mistyped target simply fails to resolve.
MX: where your mail is delivered
MX records name the servers that accept mail for the domain, each with a priority; lower numbers are tried first. Namecheap Private Email, for example, uses two MX records on @, mx1.privateemail.com and mx2.privateemail.com, both at priority 10. [5] Namecheap says a mail server name should end with a period and adds it automatically if you forget. [1]
RFC 2181 says an MX target must not be an alias: it must be a name with address records, not a CNAME. [4] What breaks when wrong: incoming mail bounces, or keeps flowing to your previous provider after a switch. Leftover MX records from an old provider are a common cause of mail silently going to two places.
TXT: SPF, DKIM, DMARC and ownership checks
Namecheap describes TXT as usually used for SPF, DKIM and DMARC. [1] TXT records are also commonly used to prove domain ownership before SSL/TLS certificates are issued. [2] Realistic examples from Namecheap's Private Email setup: an SPF TXT on @ with value v=spf1 include:spf.privateemail.com ~all, a DKIM TXT on privateemail._domainkey (default._domainkey for subscriptions bought before June 2, 2026), and a DMARC TXT on _dmarc with v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected]. [5]
Cloudflare stores TXT content as quoted strings and adds quotes if you omit them on a new record; inconsistent quotation marks cause validation errors. [2] What breaks when wrong: authentication fails and mail lands in spam or is rejected. Avoid two separate SPF records on the same name; merge them into one.
NS, SOA and the rest
An NS record indicates which server is authoritative for a name. [2] At the domain level, your nameservers are set at the registrar, not as an ordinary record; inside the zone, Namecheap's NS record type delegates a subdomain to different nameservers. [1] Cloudflare supports up to 10 NS records per name and calls seven or fewer best practice. [2] The SOA record stores zone details and is created automatically by most DNS hosts. [2]
| Record | Example value | Used by | What breaks when wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 192.0.2.1 [2] | Websites | Site unreachable or old server |
| AAAA | 2001:db8::1 | Websites on IPv6 | IPv6 visitors reach the old server |
| CNAME | www.another-example.com [2] | www, email platform DKIM and links | Hides other records on the same name [4] |
| ALIAS | Target host name | Root domain on a platform host [1] | Root domain fails to load |
| MX | 10 mx1.privateemail.com [5] | Receiving mail | Bounces or mail to old provider |
| TXT | v=spf1 include:spf.privateemail.com ~all [5] | SPF, DKIM, DMARC, verification | Authentication fails; spam folder |
| NS | ns1.externalhost.com [2] | Delegating a subdomain | Subdomain answered by the wrong host |
| SRV | 10 5 5223 server.example.com [2] | Service discovery, mail autodiscover | Apps cannot auto-configure |
| CAA | Allowed certificate authority | SSL issuance [1] | Certificate issuance refused |
TTL: how long a record is cached
TTL sets how long resolvers may cache a record. Cloudflare notes the trade-off directly: longer TTLs speed up lookups through caching, but updates take longer to reach users. [3] RFC 2181 defines TTL as a number of seconds from 0 to 2147483647. [4]
Defaults differ by host. Namecheap's default TTL is 30 minutes, or 5 minutes for ALIAS records, and you can leave it on Automatic. [1] Cloudflare's Auto is 300 seconds; unproxied records can be set from 60 seconds (30 on Enterprise) up to 1 day, and proxied records are fixed at 300 seconds. [3] A practical rule: leave defaults on stable records, and lower the TTL a day before you plan to change a record.
Questions before you decide
What does @ mean in the Host field?
In Namecheap, @ means the bare domain itself, such as example.com. For a subdomain you enter only the subdomain label, such as www, without adding the domain, because Namecheap appends it.
Can I put a CNAME on my root domain?
Namecheap says not to set a CNAME for the naked domain (@) because it may affect the domain's MX records. RFC 2181 says a name with a CNAME may have no other data, and the root always needs other records. Use an A record, or an ALIAS record where offered.
Can an MX record point to a CNAME?
No. RFC 2181 says the target of an MX record must not be an alias; it must be a name with address records.
What TTL should I use?
Leave the default for stable records (Namecheap uses 30 minutes; Cloudflare Auto uses 300 seconds). Lower a record's TTL ahead of a planned change so old values expire from caches sooner.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Namecheap Knowledgebase: How do I set up host records for a domain? Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Cloudflare DNS docs: DNS record types Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Cloudflare DNS docs: Time to Live (TTL) Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- RFC 2181: Clarifications to the DNS Specification Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Namecheap Knowledgebase: DNS settings for Private Email service Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.