A Record vs CNAME: When to Use Each DNS Record

Quick Answer: A Record vs CNAME

An A record maps a name to an IPv4 address — 'webji.in lives at 203.0.113.10'. A CNAME maps a name to another name — 'cdn.webji.in is whatever cdn-provider.net resolves to' — and inherits that target's addresses.

Rule of thumb: your own stable servers get A records; anything whose IPs you do not control gets a CNAME. The full record set lives in DNS records explained.

What an A Record Does (IP Mapping)

How this plays out with A record: settings that look cosmetic usually decide page speed and uptime under real traffic. The defaults WebJi® ships are tuned for Indian network conditions, and support can review your setup on request.

What a CNAME Does (Name Aliasing)

What a CNAME Does (Name Aliasing). Do the change this heading names on one site first, then check it in a private browser window or in the mail client, depending on the topic. Change one setting at a time, and undo it if the result is wrong before you try the next. If you want the Jaipur desk to look with you, email support@webji.services — that mailbox is staffed 24/7 in Hindi and English. Phone +91 141 4941811 is business hours only.

The Root-Domain CNAME Restriction

The rule behind every confused forum thread, in plain terms:

• The zone apex must hold SOA and NS records — they identify the zone's authority.

• A CNAME must be the only record at a name, by definition.

• Both cannot coexist, so a CNAME at the root is a protocol violation; most panels simply reject it.

Practical mapping: apex gets an A record (or provider-side flattening); www gets a CNAME to the apex or your host's hostname; subdomains (shop, blog, staging) freely CNAME to platform hostnames. A verification TXT record at a name you also want as CNAME is a conflict — resolve with A records or nested names.

When to Use Each: Hosting, CDN, www

Concrete setups:

• Pointing at shared hosting — your host gives an IP: A record at the apex, optionally www CNAME'd to it. If the host gives a hostname instead, CNAME the subdomains; the apex still needs an A record.

• Attaching a CDN — edge hostnames change constantly, so subdomains CNAME to the CDN target. Full-site CDN at the apex needs flattening.

• www setups — apex A record plus www CNAME to apex, with redirects choosing one canonical.

• Email — unaffected: MX records live at whichever name receives mail.

Setting these lives in the DNS zone of your domain registration — the zone editor handles all four cases.

ALIAS, ANAME and CNAME Flattening

ALIAS, ANAME and CNAME Flattening. Do the change this heading names on one site first, then check it in a private browser window or in the mail client, depending on the topic. Change one setting at a time, and undo it if the result is wrong before you try the next. If you want the Jaipur desk to look with you, email support@webji.services — that mailbox is staffed 24/7 in Hindi and English. Phone +91 141 4941811 is business hours only.

Setting Both in Your DNS Panel

Set the nameservers at the registrar, then edit records only in the DNS host those nameservers point at. Editing the other panel does nothing. A website and its mail can use different hosts: the A record sends the site, MX sends the mail.