Managing DNS Records (A, CNAME, MX, TXT)

DNS records decide where your website loads from, where your email is delivered and how outside services confirm that you own your domain. This guide shows which record types you will use, where to add them for a domain registered with Domain India, and how to avoid the mistakes that take a site or mailbox offline.

1. Check where your DNS records live

Your domain's nameservers decide which provider answers for it, and the records have to be added at that provider. A record added anywhere else is simply never read, even if the screen said it was saved.

Sign in to the client area, open Domains → My domains, select the domain and look at the Nameservers tab. Then use this table:

You can also check from any computer with dig NS yourbusiness.in +short, or nslookup -type=ns yourbusiness.in on Windows. The hostnames in the answer tell you who is in charge of your DNS.

2. The record types you will use

In the Host field, @ means the domain itself (yourbusiness.in) and www means www.yourbusiness.in. The addresses below are documentation examples, so always use the values your provider gives you.

• A points a name to an IPv4 address, for example @ → 203.0.113.10. Use it for your website.
• AAAA points a name to an IPv6 address, for example @ → 2001:db8::10.
• CNAME makes a name an alias of another hostname, for example www → yourbusiness.in. Website platforms often ask for a CNAME on www.
• MX tells the world which server receives email for the domain. It has a priority, and lower numbers are tried first.
• TXT holds text that other services read: your SPF record (v=spf1 …), DKIM and DMARC records, and verification codes from Google, Microsoft and others.
• SRV points a specific service, such as some calling or chat systems, to a server and port. Add one only when a provider asks for it.

You do not add NS records to change your nameservers. That is done on the Nameservers tab: see How do I change my nameservers.

3. Add or edit records in your hosting control panel

When your domain uses your Domain India hosting nameservers, the records live on your hosting server and you manage them in the control panel.

On Webuzo hosting, or if you can't find the DNS editor in your panel, ask support and we will point you to it.

What the client area's DNS tab shows. For a domain on hosting nameservers or an outside DNS provider, the domain's DNS tab says the records are managed wherever the nameservers point and can't be edited there. That is expected: use your control panel or DNS provider instead. Where the tab does show a record list, those records take effect only while the domain uses the nameservers that serve that zone. If the tab warns that the records are not in use, anything you add there is saved but never read.

4. Common record setups

Point the domain to a web server:

Type: A      Host: @      Value: 203.0.113.10
Type: A      Host: www    Value: 203.0.113.10

For Domain India hosting, you rarely need to type these: the Point a domain to this hosting card on your hosting service in the client area gives the hosting nameservers (Option 1) and, if you want to keep your current DNS provider, the server IP address for these two A records (Option 2).

Connect a website platform (Shopify, Wix, Webflow and others): the platform usually asks for an A record on @ and a CNAME on www. The values differ between platforms and sometimes between accounts, so copy them from the platform's own "connect a domain" page.

Receive email with an outside provider:

Type: MX     Host: @      Value: mail.example-provider.com   Priority: 10
Type: TXT    Host: @      Value: v=spf1 include:_spf.example-provider.com ~all

Delete the old provider's MX records when you add the new ones, or some mail keeps going to the old mailbox. If the domain is on cPanel hosting nameservers, also set Email Routing to Remote Mail Exchanger. A verification code from Google, Microsoft or another service is added the same way, as a TXT record on @.

5. TTL and how long changes take

TTL (time to live) is how long, in seconds, other servers may keep a copy of a record: 300 is five minutes, 3600 one hour and 14400 four hours. Record changes usually show within minutes to a few hours. Until the old record's TTL runs out, some visitors may still see the old answer.

To check a record, look it up directly rather than relying on a browser, which may show a cached page: dig A yourbusiness.in +short on macOS or Linux, or nslookup -type=mx yourbusiness.in on Windows.

6. Mistakes to avoid

• Records added at the wrong provider. Check the NS answer before you add anything.
• A CNAME on the root. The domain itself (@) cannot be a CNAME. Use an A record for @ and a CNAME only for subdomains such as www.
• A CNAME and another record on the same name. A name with a CNAME cannot hold any other record.
• Two SPF records. A domain may have only one v=spf1 TXT record. Merge them into one.
• An MX record that points to an IP address. MX values must be hostnames, and that hostname needs its own A record.
• Typing the full domain in the Host field. Enter just www or mail, or you may end up with www.yourbusiness.in.yourbusiness.in.

For the full picture, including Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 records, read How to Change Your Domain DNS Settings.

7. Where Domain India fits

Every domain registered with Domain India is managed from one client area, where you set its nameservers. For website and email in one place, a Domain India hosting plan manages all of your records from its control panel once the domain uses the hosting nameservers. For email alone, Business Email provides your SPF and DMARC records and signs every message with DKIM. Prices on the cards are live and exclude 18% GST.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to add your records? Open your hosting services to reach your control panel, check your domain in My domains, or read the full DNS settings guide. If something still looks wrong, open a support ticket with your domain name and the records you are trying to set.