A DNS (Domain Name System) name server stores DNS records for a domain name. There are many types of DNS records, but some of the most common are:

• A records: An A record associates a domain name (such as example.com) with an IP address (such as 93.184.216.119).
• CNAME records: CNAME (canonical name) records define aliases by associating one domain name with another. For example, you could create a CNAME record for mail.example.comassociated with example.com. When a DNS lookup for mail.example.com occurs, it receives in response the associated example.com domain, and subsequently performs a lookup on its A record. CNAME records enable you to define multiple domains without having to specify an IP address for each one.
• TXT records: TXT records can contain any arbitrary text data. They are often used to define SPF (Sender Policy Framework) or DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) settings.

Using the DNS Zone Editor in cPanel

To configure DNS records for your domain, cPanel provides a Simple DNS Zone Editor and an Advanced DNS Zone Editor. They have similar functionality, and both allow you to define A and CNAME records. However, only the Advanced DNS Zone Editor enables you to configure TXTrecords as well.

The following procedures describe how to use the Advanced DNS Zone Editor.

Adding a record

To add a record using the Advanced DNS Zone Editor, follow these steps:

1. In the Domains section of the cPanel home screen, click Advanced DNS Zone Editor.
2. Under Select a Domain, select the domain for which you want to add a record.
   Depending on your current account configuration, this option may not appear.
3. Under Add a Record, in the Name text box, type the fully-qualified domain name (FQDN) for the record.
4. In the TTLtext box, type the time-to-live value in seconds.
   If you are unsure of the value to specify, type 14400, which is four hours.
5. In the Typelist box, select the type of record that you want to add, and then:
   • If you are adding an A record, in the Address text box, type the IP address to associate with the domain name that you specified in step 2.
   • If you are adding a CNAME record, in the CNAME text box, type the associated canonical name for the domain name that you specified in step 2.
   • If you are adding a TXT record, in the TXT Data text box, type the data for the TXTrecord.

6. Click Add Record. After cPanel adds the record, you can view it in the Zone File Records list.

Editing a record

To edit a record using the Advanced DNS Zone Editor, follow these steps:

1. In the Domains section of the cPanel home screen, click Advanced DNS Zone Editor.
2. Under Select a Domain, select the domain for which you want to edit a record.
   Depending on your current account configuration, this option may not appear.
3. Under Zone File Records, locate the record you want to edit, and then click Edit.
4. Modify the value or values you want to change, and then click Edit Record.
   Be careful! Modifying certain records can make your web site inaccessible, prevent e-mail from working correctly, or cause other unintended side effects.

Deleting a record

To delete a record using the Advanced DNS Zone Editor, follow these steps:

1. In the Domains section of the cPanel home screen, click Advanced DNS Zone Editor.
2. Under Select a Domain, select the domain for which you want to delete a record.
   Depending on your current account configuration, this option may not appear.
3. Under Zone File Records, locate the record you want to delete, and then click Delete.
4. At the Delete this record? prompt, click Delete. cPanel removes the record from the Zone File Recordslist.
   Be careful! Deleting certain records can make your web site inaccessible, prevent e-mail from working correctly, or cause other unintended side effects.

More Information

For general information about DNS, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_Name_System.