GLOSSARY

What is a CNAME record?

A CNAME record aliases one domain name to another, so it inherits that name’s address. Learn how CNAMEs work and look one up free.

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A CNAME (Canonical Name) record makes one domain name an alias for another. Instead of pointing at an IP directly, it says "look up this other name instead" — useful for pointing subdomains at a service you do not control the IP of.

How aliasing works

If www.example.com is a CNAME to example.com, any lookup of www follows the alias and resolves whatever example.com resolves to. This is common for pointing a subdomain at a CDN, a SaaS app, or a load balancer whose IPs can change — the CNAME insulates you from those changes.

CNAME limitations

A CNAME cannot coexist with other records on the same name, so you cannot put a CNAME on the root/apex domain that also needs MX or other records. Providers offer "ALIAS" or "ANAME" records to work around this at the apex.

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FAQ

Can I use a CNAME on my root domain?›
Not directly — CNAMEs cannot coexist with other records at the apex. Use an ALIAS/ANAME record instead.
What is the difference between A and CNAME?›
An A record points to an IP; a CNAME points to another name that is then resolved.

Related

What is an A record?An A record maps a domain name to an IPv4 address; AAAA maps to IPv6. Learn how they work and look one up free.What is DNS?DNS translates domain names into IP addresses — the internet’s phone book. Learn how it works and run a DNS lookup free.How to do a DNS lookupLook up a domain’s DNS records — A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME — from our servers. Step-by-step, plus what each record tells you.