DNS records tell the internet where your website, mail, and other services live. For a domain registered with us, you add and edit those records in the portal: Domains → the domain → DNS. AtlasDNS is the default. Do not send the name to a third-party DNS host.
If you are not sure which record to add, open a support ticket and we will set it with you.
Where you edit records
- Sign in at /portal.
- Open Domains, then the domain, then DNS.
- AtlasDNS (the usual case): add and edit records on that page. Types we support include A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS, CAA, and ALIAS. SRV is valid on the platform; if the form does not offer it, open a support ticket and we will add it.
- cPanel Hosting DNS mode (the domain is paired with a shared hosting service): the portal DNS page will say records are managed from the hosting control panel. Open the hosting service, click Log in to cPanel, and use the Zone Editor.
Unsure which mode you are on? Open a support ticket and we will check with you.
When the domain uses AtlasDNS, the nameservers are:
ns1.atlasdns.net.au
ns2.atlasdns.net.au
ns3.atlasdns.net.auStep-by-step pointing: Point your domain at your hosting. Changes are often quick, but they can take a while to show everywhere. See DNS propagation explained.
A record: IPv4 address
An A record maps a name to an IPv4 address.
Example:
yourdomain.com A 203.0.113.45When to use it:
- The website (or another service) lives on an IPv4 address you control.
- Shared hosting: copy Shared IP Address from cPanel General Information and use that for
@(the root name) when the site should hit this account. - VPS or dedicated: use the server IPv4 shown on that service in the portal.
You can have more than one A record on the same name (round-robin). Use the real address from the portal or cPanel. Do not guess.
AAAA record: IPv6 address
AAAA is the IPv6 version of an A record.
Example:
yourdomain.com AAAA 2001:db8::1Add an AAAA only when that service actually has an IPv6 address. Copy it from the portal (or from cPanel if it is listed there). An A record is enough if the service is IPv4-only.
CNAME record: alias to another hostname
A CNAME points one name at another hostname. Resolvers then look up that target.
Example:
www.yourdomain.com CNAME yourdomain.com
blog.yourdomain.com CNAME shops.example.comWhen to use it:
- Point
wwwat the root name. - Point a subdomain at another hostname (a shop, a status page, or a name a product asked you to add).
Rules we enforce:
- Do not put a CNAME on the root name (
@/yourdomain.com). On AtlasDNS, use an A record or an ALIAS instead. In the cPanel Zone Editor, use an A record for the root. - A CNAME cannot sit on the same name as any other type (A, MX, TXT, and so on). That is why the root name must never be a CNAME: the root also holds MX, TXT, and NS.
ALIAS record: root name to a hostname
ALIAS is an AtlasDNS record. It behaves like a CNAME, but it is safe on the root name. We look up the target and answer with its A and AAAA addresses under your name.
Example:
yourdomain.com ALIAS target.example.comUse ALIAS when something must live on yourdomain.com itself and you only have a hostname, not an IP. A parked domain may already have an ALIAS at the root. Do not delete that unless you are putting a live site or mail on the name.
The cPanel Zone Editor does not offer ALIAS. If the domain is in cPanel Hosting DNS mode and you need this, open a support ticket.
MX record: where mail is delivered
MX records tell other mail servers where to deliver mail for the domain. You can have more than one. Lower priority numbers are tried first.
Example (shared-hosting mail):
yourdomain.com MX 10 mail.yourdomain.comThe MX target must be a hostname that itself has an A (or AAAA) record. Shared-hosting mail is usually mail.yourdomain.com on this account's IP.
Which product owns mail:
- Shared-hosting mail (mailboxes you create in cPanel): keep MX aimed at this account, typically
mail.yourdomain.com. See Create an email account and MX records and how email routing works. - LochStudios Mail is a different product. Confirm the MX values on the mail service in the portal, or open a support ticket. Do not point MX back at cPanel unless you mean to leave LochStudios Mail.
- Another mail product: add the MX values they gave you, as written. Do not leave two competing MX sets on the same name.
Wrong MX records mean inbound mail does not arrive. If you are cutting mail over, open a support ticket before you save.
TXT record: text (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, checks)
A TXT record holds a text string. Common uses are mail authentication and proving you own the domain. You can have more than one TXT on the same name.
SPF
SPF lists who may send mail as your domain. It is one TXT record on the root name, starting with v=spf1.
On shared hosting in cPanel Hosting DNS mode, open Email Deliverability in cPanel and repair the domain so cPanel writes the SPF for you. For LochStudios Mail, use the value on the mail service in the portal (or ask us in a ticket). Do not publish two SPF records. Merge senders into one string.
DKIM
DKIM is a TXT record on a selector name such as default._domainkey.yourdomain.com. The mail product supplies the full value.
On shared hosting in cPanel Hosting mode, Email Deliverability in cPanel can write it. Otherwise paste the value you were given.
See DKIM explained.
DMARC
DMARC is a TXT record on _dmarc.yourdomain.com. It says what to do when SPF or DKIM fail.
Example:
_dmarc.yourdomain.com TXT v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:you@yourdomain.comStart with p=none until you know mail is authenticating. Then tighten the policy. See DMARC explained.
Domain checks
A CDN, a mail product, or a domain check may ask you to add a TXT string on @ or on a name they specify. Paste it exactly. Do not add a second copy of the same name and value.
SRV record: a service on a host and port
An SRV record points a service (voice, chat, some Microsoft 365 features) at a hostname and port.
Example:
_sip._tls.yourdomain.com SRV 10 60 5061 sip.example.comFields:
- Priority (10): lower values are tried first.
- Weight (60): share of traffic among records with the same priority.
- Port (5061): the port the service uses.
- Target: the hostname (that hostname still needs an A or AAAA record).
Most websites and ordinary mail do not need SRV. If an app or our Virtual PBX product gives you exact SRV rows, add them as written. If the DNS form does not offer SRV, open a support ticket and we will add them.
NS record: nameservers
NS records list the authoritative nameservers for the zone. At the root name they are ours. Leave those rows alone.
yourdomain.com NS ns1.atlasdns.net.au
yourdomain.com NS ns2.atlasdns.net.au
yourdomain.com NS ns3.atlasdns.net.auChanging nameservers is a registry setting, not a zone tweak. If the domain is registered with us, use Domains → the domain → DNS. If it is registered elsewhere, set the three AtlasDNS nameservers at that registrar, then open a support ticket so we can put the zone on this account.
Do not use Reset Zone in cPanel unless we have asked you to.
CAA record: who may issue certificates
A CAA record says which certificate authorities may issue certificates for the name. AtlasDNS supports it.
On shared hosting, certificates come from AutoSSL (Let's Encrypt) in cPanel SSL/TLS Status. If you add CAA and lock it to the wrong issuer, AutoSSL can stop issuing. Skip CAA unless you have a reason. If you want it set, open a support ticket.
Common combinations
Website on our shared hosting, mail on the same account
yourdomain.com A (Shared IP Address from cPanel)
www.yourdomain.com CNAME yourdomain.com
mail.yourdomain.com A (same Shared IP Address)
yourdomain.com MX 10 mail.yourdomain.comLet cPanel Email Deliverability write the SPF and DKIM TXT records when the domain is in cPanel Hosting DNS mode.
Website on a VPS, mail on LochStudios Mail
yourdomain.com A (the VPS IPv4 from the portal)
www.yourdomain.com CNAME yourdomain.comSet MX (and SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to the values on the mail service in the portal. Do not point MX at the VPS unless that server is actually accepting mail.
Mail only (no website yet)
Keep MX and the mail authentication TXT records. You do not need a public A record until there is a site. A parked domain may already have an ALIAS at the root; leave it until you are ready to publish.
TTL (time to live)
Every record has a TTL in seconds. Other servers may cache the answer for that long.
- 3600 (1 hour) is the usual default. Fine for day-to-day use.
- 300 (5 minutes) is useful for a planned cutover. Lower it at least a day before you change the value, then raise it again after the change has settled.
- 86400 (1 day) caches longer. Changes take longer to show everywhere.
Lower TTL means faster updates after you save, and a little more lookup traffic. See DNS propagation explained.
Tips
- Change one critical record at a time when the name is already live.
- Lower TTL a day before you move a website or mail.
- Confirm MX before you delete the old mail records.
- One SPF string per name. Add DKIM and DMARC once mail is on the product you intend to keep.
- Paste third-party check records exactly. Do not invent values.
- If a save does not do what you expected, open a support ticket rather than stacking more records on the same name.