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Add a record to your domain

A company asked you to add a DNS record. You copy three things into your domain's settings, and you delete one line if it goes wrong.

Updated

Domain companies word their screens differently, so follow your company's own help where it differs from these pages. General information, not technical or legal advice.

A company you use, like a newsletter, a booking tool or a client portal, has asked you to “add a DNS record.” You aren’t setting anything up or deciding anything. They give you three things and you copy them into your domain’s settings. If it goes wrong, you delete the one line you added.

What did they give me?

  • Type. A short code like CNAME or TXT. Pick the same one from the list.
  • Name. Sometimes called Host. It’s the address the record is for.
  • Value. Sometimes called Target, Content or Points to. Copy and paste it whole.

You don’t need to know what the codes mean to add one. Each company labels the boxes its own way (Target, Content, IP Address, Target Host or Value are all common), so match each one by what it holds.

Do this

  1. Log in where your domain’s records are kept. That is usually the company you bought your domain from. Not sure? See Who has my domain.
  2. Open the DNS settings. Look for DNS, DNS records or Manage DNS.
  3. Look through the list for the name they gave you. Not there? Go on to the next step. Already there? Read the section below first. A verification code can usually go right in.
  4. Add a record and pick the type they gave you.
  5. Type only the first part of the name. If they gave you portal.yourbusiness.com, type portal. Most domain companies add the rest for you. If the record is for the domain itself, type @.
  6. Paste the value exactly as given.
  7. Save, then read the new line. If your domain shows up twice in it, delete that line and add it again with only the first part.
  8. Go back to the company that asked and press their check button. If it isn’t found yet, give it time. Most changes work within an hour, and some take a day or two.

Why is this safe?

A new name has nothing using it yet. Your website and your email are on other lines, and you didn’t touch them. If you change your mind, delete the line you added and your list is back to how it was.

If the name they gave you is already in your list

What if the name is already in my list?

Most often this is a verification code: a TXT line that proves you own the domain. Those go on the domain itself (@), where a few TXT lines usually sit already. Add yours as a new line beside them, and leave the others as they are. Google’s own steps for verifying a domain work this way, and its help shows a domain with a verification code and an email line side by side.

Stop and ask before adding any of these:

  • A line that starts v=spf1. A domain can have one SPF record, so if you already have one, don’t add a second. The company will tell you what to add to the line you have.
  • An email line marked MX. Those decide where your email is delivered.
  • Any other line on the domain itself or www. Those are your website.

To ask, send the company that gave you the record a screenshot of your list and ask which line to change. Nothing is broken while you wait.

What you get back

One new line in your domain’s list, and a company that can now see it.

Next: Did my record work?

Sources

  1. GoDaddy Help, Add a CNAME record
  2. Microsoft Learn, Connect your domain by adding DNS records
  3. Google Workspace Admin Help, Verify your domain with a TXT record
  4. Google Workspace Admin Help, Troubleshoot TXT records
  5. Google Workspace Admin Help, About SPF records

Common questions

What is a DNS record?

It is one line in your domain's settings. Each line connects your domain name to something you use, such as your website or your email. When a company asks you to add one, they give you the line and you copy it in.

Do I need to know what CNAME or TXT means?

No. Those are labels for the type of line. The company that asked gives you the exact type, and you pick the same one from your domain company's list.

What do I type in the Name box?

Only the first part of the name. If they gave you portal.yourbusiness.com, type portal. Most domain companies add the rest for you. If the record is for the domain itself, type @. After you save, read the new line. If your domain shows up twice in it, delete the line and add it again with only the first part.

Can adding a record break my website or my email?

Not when the name is new. A name nobody uses yet has nothing depending on it. A verification code is also fine to add beside the lines already on your domain. Stop and ask before adding a second email line marked MX, a second line that starts v=spf1, or another line on the domain itself or www.

How long until a new record works?

Often within an hour, sometimes a day or two. Press the check button at the company that asked you, then check again later.