What is DNS? How Do Websites Get Found Online?
Ever wondered how typing a simple website name seems to magically take you to the right place? The answer lies in the Domain Name System (DNS) and Nameservers. Understanding what happens behind the scenes might seem technical, but it’s foundational to how we navigate the internet. While you don’t need to know the ins and outs of DNS to get a great website up and running, there may be occasions when it’s necessary to make changes. DNS and Nameservers: The Basics You can think of the Domain Name System (DNS) as a giant telephone directory for the web. Every server and device has an Internet Protocol (IP) address. Each website can get its own entry in the book. In the early days of the internet, you had to manually enter long sets of numbers to connect to a website—fine for tech enthusiasts, but not practical for everyday users. DNS simplifies this by translating web addresses into IP addresses. When you enter a domain name (like “123-reg.co.uk”) into your browser, it gets converted into a corresponding IP address (like “123.0.1.2”). This connects you to the correct web server, making internet navigation more user-friendly. DNS infrastructure allows us to choose from thousands of memorable domain names instead of cumbersome numerical addresses. For example, 8.8.8.8 is the IP address for https://dns.google/, which is Google’s free tool for translating domain names into IP addresses. See also: Names That Click – How to Choose the Right Domain Name Where DNS is the directory, Nameservers are the operators. They connect you to the website or service you want to get through to. When you type a domain name into your browser, Nameservers (also known as ‘DNS Servers’) kick into action — translating, or ‘resolving’, domain names into IP addresses. Image: DNS-Server – Author: Seobility – Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 Not every website has its own entry in the DNS. Multiple domain names can point to the same IP address, and there can be several DNS records associated with a single IP address, such as for different services hosted on the same server. You can also manually enter the IP address directly into your address bar to reach a website, bypassing DNS altogether. However, most major websites balance traffic by using several IP addresses. DNS caching temporarily stores the mapping between domain names and their corresponding IP addresses. This speeds up future website visits because the lookup information is readily available. Specifically, the DNS resolver caches IP addresses for a specified time known as Time to Live (TTL), which allows it to respond more quickly to subsequent requests for the same domain. Remember, you don’t need in-depth knowledge about DNS to buy a domain and build a website; your hosting provider handles the technical details behind the scenes. Did you know? IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) was the first version of IP address to catch on. The original 32-bit system made 4.3 billion unique addresses possible. But that wasn’t enough to keep up with the explosion of internet-connected devices. Later, IPv6 was released, with a 128-bit format which makes 340 trillion trillion trillion unique IP addresses possible. What are the DNS record types? DNS Records are the individual pieces of data stored within the Domain Name System. They contain different kinds of info that help internet services know how to deal with your website — not least of all, where to find it. The good news is: you don’t usually need to create or edit DNS Records yourself! Good website hosts will generally handle this all for you. However, there may be times when you want to take more control over your DNS Records. The most important DNS Record for website owners is the A record, which maps domain names to their IP addresses, allowing users (and browsers) to find your site. Here’s a hierarchical list of the different types of Records that make your domain name work: ✓ NS (Nameserver) Record✓ A (Address) Record✓ CNAME (Canonical Name) Record✓ MX (Mail Exchange) Record✓ TXT (Text) Record The Nameserver “NS” Record sits at the top and delegate authority for a domain to specific nameservers. These Records hold all the information about your domain, like where your website files are stored and how to handle emails. Without them, the rest of your website’s address lookup wouldn’t work. When someone types in your domain name, finding your NS Records is the first step. The NS Records are therefore a bit special. It’s all the other DNS Records (MX, CNAME, TXT, etc) that actually contain specific information for your website. They live on the nameservers that Nameserver Records point to. You may want to change your NS Records when moving or “pointing” a website to a new hosting provider. A Records directly link domain names (or subdomains) to their IP addresses. As such, they’re essential for a website to be sure it’s reachable. You usually manage your A record (along with other DNS Records) through the control panel of your domain registrar CNAME Records are used to set up alias URLs. If you own both exampledomain.com and blog.exampledomain.com, for instance, a CNAME Records are there to point one to the other. MX Records are all about email. They specify which mail servers handle messages for the domain. That is to say, they tell other email systems where to deliver messages, like the postbox for your email. If you use an app like Outlook with your own domain’s email, the MX Records point to the mail servers provided by your email hosting company. If you have POP3 Email in your browser, the MX Records point to their mail servers. Last but not least, TXT Records are there to offer extra room for information about your domain. This text-based info might range from verification codes to general notes for domain management. Lastly, TXT Records offer extra space for information about your domain, ranging from verification codes to general notes for domain management. TXT Records can also verify you’re the rightful