How to Set Up DNS Records The Right Way

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Learn how to set up DNS records for your custom domain with this clear, practical guide. Master A, CNAME, TXT, and MX records to launch your website.

Before you can get your website, email, or any other online service up and running on your own domain, you have to tackle DNS records. This just means logging into your domain registrar (like GoDaddy or Namecheap), finding the DNS management area, and adding a few specific entries like A, CNAME, or MX records.

Think of these records as the internet's traffic cops, directing requests for your website and emails to the right servers.

Understanding DNS Records and Why They Matter

The Domain Name System (DNS) is essentially the phone book for the internet. It’s the magic that happens behind the scenes when you type a friendly domain like yourwebsite.com, translating it into a computer-readable IP address so your browser knows exactly which server to connect to.

Getting this translation right is the first, most critical step for any online project. Whether you're launching a personal blog or a full-blown e-commerce store, your DNS records are the bedrock that makes everything else work. If you're new to this, it helps to understand the basics of What Is Website Hosting Explained for Beginners first.

The Core of Your Online Identity

Setting up your DNS isn't just a box-ticking exercise; it's fundamental to building a professional and trustworthy online presence. Without it, your custom domain is just a name—it can't connect to your website, your email provider, or any other service you want to use. This is especially true when connecting a domain to a platform like Sotion, where just two simple records are all it takes to launch a fully branded site.

Taking a few minutes to master this process pays off in several ways:

Professional Branding: A custom domain builds trust and looks far more credible than a generic, platform-specific URL.

Centralized Control: You get one dashboard to manage where your website traffic goes, how your emails are routed, and how you verify your domain with third-party tools.

Improved Reliability: Correct records are your best defense against the common errors that can knock your website or email offline without warning.

Ultimately, learning to set up DNS records gives you complete control over your online assets. It can feel a bit intimidating at first, but with the right guidance, it’s a surprisingly straightforward process. For a deeper dive into the mechanics, check out our guide on what DNS configuration is and how it all works.

Finding the DNS Management Area in Your Domain Registrar

Before you can start pointing your domain to a new service, you've got to find the control panel. Every domain registrar, whether you're using GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Google Domains, tucks its DNS settings away in a slightly different spot. Don't worry, though—the path to get there is almost always the same.

First things first, log into your registrar's dashboard. You should see a list of the domains you own. Find the one you want to work on and click into its settings.

From there, you’re on the hunt for a link or button labeled something like "Manage DNS," "Advanced DNS," or just plain old "DNS." Sometimes it's hiding under a broader "Domain Settings" or "Manage Domain" menu. This is your destination.

Once you click through, you'll land on a page that looks a bit technical, probably with a table of existing records. It can seem intimidating, but you can safely ignore most of what's there. You're just here to add or edit a few specific lines.

Understanding the DNS Fields

When you go to add a new record, you'll be presented with a few fields to fill out. The labels might differ slightly from one provider to another, but they all do the same job.

Here’s the breakdown of what you'll typically see:

Type: This is a dropdown menu where you’ll select the kind of record you’re making. For our purposes, this will usually be A, CNAME, TXT, or MX.

Host/Name: This field tells the server which part of your domain the rule applies to. Using the @ symbol usually refers to your main domain (like yourdomain.com). If you enter www, the record will apply to www.yourdomain.com.

Value/Points to: This is the destination. For an A record, it’s an IP address. For a CNAME, it's another domain name. You're telling the internet where to send traffic that matches the Host/Name.

TTL (Time to Live): This number, measured in seconds, tells DNS servers how long they should "remember" this record before checking for updates. A lower TTL means changes will spread faster. The default setting is usually fine, so you often don't need to touch this.

Getting comfortable with this interface is the biggest hurdle. Once you know where these settings are and what each field does, you're ready to start adding the records you need to get your project online.

Setting Up the Most Common DNS Records

Alright, now that you've found your way into your DNS management panel, it's time for the fun part: adding the records that make your website, email, and other services actually work. This is where you tell the internet where to send traffic for your domain.

Each record type has a specific job, and getting familiar with the main players turns this from a technical chore into a quick, satisfying task.

Once you log into your domain registrar, the path to your DNS settings is usually pretty straightforward. Most follow a simple three-step flow.

This just shows the typical journey from your main dashboard to the specific DNS management area where you'll be adding and editing your records.

To give you a quick cheat sheet, here’s a breakdown of the most common DNS records you'll encounter.

Common DNS Record Types and Their Functions

Record Type	What It Does	Example Use Case
A	Points a domain name to an IPv4 address.	Connecting `yourdomain.com` to your web hosting server.
CNAME	Points a name (like a subdomain) to another domain name.	Making `www.yourdomain.com` point to `yourdomain.com`.
MX	Directs email for your domain to a specific mail server.	Setting up Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 for your email.
TXT	Adds plain text for verification and security purposes.	Proving you own a domain for Google Search Console.

Now that you have the big picture, let's walk through setting up each of these one by one.

The A Record: Your Website's Address

The A record is the most basic and essential record you'll set. It points your domain name straight to the IP address of the server hosting your website. Think of it as the digital street address for your site.

When you sign up for web hosting, your provider gives you an IP address. Your only job is to create an A record that links your domain to that string of numbers.

Host/Name: Use @ to represent your main domain (e.g., yourdomain.com).

Value/Points to: Pop in the IP address your web host gave you.

TTL: You can almost always leave this at the default setting.

For example, if your host's IP is 192.0.2.1, this A record tells any browser that types in yourdomain.com to go directly to that server to find your website. Simple as that.

The CNAME Record: For Aliases and Services

Next up is the CNAME (Canonical Name) record. Unlike an A record, a CNAME doesn't point to an IP address. Instead, it points a name to another name, creating an alias. This is incredibly handy for connecting subdomains or third-party services without needing a separate IP address for everything.

A classic use case is setting up the "www" version of your site. You can create a CNAME record where the Host is www, and it Points to @ (your root domain). That way, www.yourdomain.com automatically resolves to your main site. Services like Sotion also lean on CNAME records to connect your custom domain to your published pages.

The MX Record: For Your Professional Email

If you're planning to use a custom email address like you@yourdomain.com, you'll need to get friendly with MX (Mail Exchange) records. These records tell the rest of the internet which mail servers are responsible for handling your domain's email.

Services like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 will give you a list of MX records to add. It’s usually a set of multiple entries, each with a different priority.

Host/Name: Typically @.

Value/Points to: The mail server address from your email provider (e.g., ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM).

Priority: This is a number indicating the order servers should be tried. Lower numbers mean higher priority.

Beyond basic web hosting, DNS records are critical for more advanced setups. For example, anyone mastering Exchange Server settings knows that correct DNS configuration is non-negotiable for reliable email delivery.

The TXT Record: For Verification and Security

Finally, there’s the TXT (Text) record. This one is a multi-purpose tool that lets you add arbitrary text to your DNS zone. While that sounds a bit abstract, it has some mission-critical uses, especially for domain verification.

When you sign up for a service like Google Search Console or an email marketing platform, they often ask you to add a unique TXT record. This is how you prove you're the actual owner of the domain. TXT records are also the backbone of email security protocols like SPF and DKIM, which help fight spam and phishing by verifying that emails are really coming from you.

Connecting a Custom Domain to Sotion: A Real-World Example

Alright, let's move from theory to a practical, real-world scenario. One of the most common reasons people dive into DNS settings is to hook up a custom domain to a platform, and Sotion makes this process surprisingly simple. This is where the abstract concept becomes a tangible outcome: your professional website, live on your own branded domain.

Unlike some complex hosting setups that feel like you need a pilot's license to navigate, connecting a Sotion site requires just two records: one CNAME and one TXT record. This minimalist approach is designed to get you up and running fast, without getting bogged down in technical jargon.

Finding Your Sotion DNS Values

First things first, you need the specific values for your records. Just pop into your Sotion dashboard and head to the domain settings for the site you want to connect. Sotion will generate and display the exact Host and Value information you’ll need for both the CNAME and TXT records.

This step completely removes the guesswork. You don't have to figure out what points where; Sotion gives you the precise data. Your job is simply to copy these values and paste them into your domain registrar's DNS panel.

For creators, this two-record setup can instantly transform a Notion page into a branded hub. This trend is a major driver in the managed DNS market, which is forecasted to jump from USD 0.6 billion in 2023 to USD 1.3 billion by 2028. Why? Because a streamlined process like this allows for features like email signups and payments, enabling launches that can be 70% faster than with old-school tools.

Adding the Records to Your Registrar

With your Sotion values copied, log in to your domain registrar (like GoDaddy or Namecheap) and find that DNS management area we talked about earlier. Now you'll create two new records.

The CNAME Record: Create a new record and select CNAME as the type. In the Host field, enter the value Sotion provided (it's often www). In the Value or Points to field, paste the target domain Sotion gave you.

The TXT Record: Create a second record, this time selecting TXT. Copy the unique Host and Value from your Sotion dashboard straight into the corresponding fields in your registrar. This one is mainly for domain verification.

This whole process puts what you've learned into direct action. For a more detailed walkthrough, you might also want to check out our complete guide on how to set up a custom domain with Sotion.

Troubleshooting Common DNS Setup Issues

So, you’ve followed the steps, carefully added your A, CNAME, or TXT records, and hit save. You rush over to your domain, expecting to see your beautiful new site, but instead... an error page.

Don’t panic. This is an incredibly common part of the process, and it almost never means you’ve broken something permanently. Usually, it's just a matter of waiting it out or fixing a tiny mistake.

What you're likely experiencing is something called DNS propagation. Think of it as the internet's massive, global address book slowly updating itself. When you change a DNS record, that change doesn't happen instantly for everyone. It has to ripple out across thousands of servers worldwide, which can take anywhere from a few minutes to, in rare cases, up to 48 hours.

This is also where the TTL (Time to Live) setting comes in. TTL is a value, measured in seconds, that tells DNS servers how long they should "cache" or remember your old record before checking for an updated one. A lower TTL means changes propagate faster, but for most setups, the default setting is perfectly fine.

Verifying Your DNS Records

Before you start pulling your hair out, the first step is to simply verify that your changes were saved correctly and are visible to the outside world. Thankfully, you don't have to just sit and wait. You can actively check the status using a free online tool like DNSchecker.org.

A DNS checker will show you which records are being reported by major DNS servers across the globe. If you see your shiny new records showing up in multiple locations, you can be confident you've done your part correctly. Now, it's just a waiting game. If you don't see your changes after an hour or two, it might be time to investigate further.

Fixing Common Errors

If you've waited a reasonable amount of time and propagation isn't the issue, the problem is almost always a small, easy-to-fix error. A single typo is all it takes to prevent a record from working, so double-checking your work is the most effective troubleshooting you can do.

From my experience, these are the most frequent culprits to look for:

Typos in the Value Field: This is the big one. Check for extra spaces, missing characters, or transposed letters in the IP address or domain name you were given to copy. It has to be exact.

Incorrect Host/Name: Make sure you used @ for your root domain or the correct subdomain (like www) as instructed. Using www when you should have used @ is a classic slip-up.

Wrong Record Type: It's surprisingly easy to accidentally create an A record when you really needed a CNAME. This will definitely cause problems, so confirm you've selected the right type from the dropdown menu.

Just head back into your DNS management panel, carefully compare what you entered with the values provided by your hosting or service provider, and correct any mistakes you find. Once you save the fix, the propagation process will start all over again.

By the way, learning how to manage redirects can also be incredibly useful in these situations. Our guide on Cloudflare URL redirection offers some great insights. Solving these small DNS issues yourself is empowering and a key step in truly mastering your online presence.

Got a Few Lingering DNS Questions?

Even when everything goes smoothly, it's natural to have a few questions pop up after setting up your DNS records. You're not alone. Let's walk through some of the most common ones I hear from people navigating these final steps.

How Long Until My New Records Actually Work?

So, you've hit save... now what? The waiting game for DNS propagation—the time it takes for your changes to spread across the internet—can feel a bit vague. The official answer is anywhere from a few minutes up to 48 hours.

Why such a big window? It all comes down to your domain registrar and something called TTL (Time to Live). TTL is a setting on your record that tells servers everywhere how long they should "remember" your old information before checking for an update. While you’ll often see your site live within an hour or two, it’s always smart to give it a full 24 hours before you start worrying that something is broken.

Can I Have More Than One DNS Record?

Absolutely. In fact, you pretty much have to. It's completely standard for a single domain to have a whole collection of different DNS records working in harmony.

Think of it this way: you’ll have an A record pointing to your website's server, a few MX records to manage your email with a service like Google Workspace, and maybe a TXT record or two for domain verification. The only real rule is to avoid creating conflicting records—like pointing the same subdomain to two different servers with two A records. That just confuses browsers and leads to errors.

What Happens If I Mess Up a DNS Record?

Mistakes happen. If you enter a DNS record incorrectly, the service connected to it will simply fail to work. A typo in your A record means your website won't load. A bad MX record means your emails won't be delivered.

The good news? It's always fixable. Just head back to your DNS management panel, find the faulty record, and edit it with the correct values. Once you save the fix, the correct information will start propagating just like the original change did. There's no permanent damage, just a temporary headache.

Ready to connect your Notion pages to a custom domain without the usual DNS hassle? With Sotion, you can launch a professional, secure website in under two minutes using just two simple records. Get started today and see how easy it can be.