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What Is DNS? The Domain Name System Explained, with Its Main Records

Updated: 5 Oct 20267 min readSecurity and tech basics
In short: DNS (the Domain Name System) is the “phone book of the internet”: it turns a domain name you type, such as hyyat.com, into the numeric IP address of a server, so your browser knows where to find the website. This information lives in DNS records such as A, MX and CNAME, and any change to them can take from a few minutes up to 48 hours to spread.

Every time you type a website address or send a message to a company mailbox, a small system you never see does the work in the background: DNS. Once you understand how it works, you will understand why a site sometimes does not open right after moving to a new host, why your email lands in spam, and why support asks you to “wait for the change to propagate”. This guide explains DNS in plain language, then walks through the records you will actually touch when managing your domain.

What is DNS, in plain language?

Devices on the internet do not recognise each other by name but by numbers called IP addresses, such as 203.0.113.10 in IPv4, or a longer address such as 2001:db8::10 in IPv6. Numbers like these are hard for people to remember, so we use easy domain names such as hyyat.com instead.

DNS connects the two. You type the name, your device asks DNS for the matching number, then connects to the right server. It works like the contacts on your phone: you look up a person’s name and the phone dials the number without you having to remember it.

How does DNS work, step by step?

The first time you visit a website, the lookup passes through these stages in a fraction of a second:

  1. Your device’s memory: the browser and operating system first check their own cache; if you visited the site recently, the saved address is used straight away.
  2. Your internet provider’s DNS server: if the address is not cached, the question goes to a DNS server called a resolver, usually run by your internet provider or by a public DNS service you chose.
  3. The root server: the resolver asks a root server who is responsible for names ending in .com, and is pointed to the right place.
  4. The extension (TLD) server: it asks the .com server who is responsible for hyyat.com, and receives the nameservers the domain owner has set.
  5. The authoritative server: the resolver asks those nameservers for the IP address, and they reply with the requested record.
  6. Save and connect: the resolver returns the address to your device and keeps it for a set time, then the browser connects to the server and loads the site.

The four types of DNS servers

  • Resolver (recursive DNS server): receives the question from your device, does the searching for you and caches answers to speed up later requests.
  • Root server: the starting point; it knows where the servers for each extension are.
  • TLD server: responsible for one extension such as .com or .sa, and knows the nameservers of every domain under it.
  • Authoritative server: holds your domain’s actual records; this is where you edit records from your control panel.

The main DNS records and what each one does

Record What it does Example
A Points the domain to the server’s IPv4 address example.com → 203.0.113.10
AAAA Points the domain to an IPv6 address example.com → 2001:db8::10
CNAME Makes a subdomain point to another name www → example.com
MX Sets the server that receives email mail.example.com
TXT Text used for verification and protection, such as SPF and DKIM v=spf1 …
NS Sets the nameservers that manage the domain ns1.example.com

Most of the time you will work with A records to point your website, MX records to run email, and TXT records to add SPF and DKIM or to verify domain ownership with Google, Microsoft and other services.

Nameservers versus records

This is the most common source of confusion. Nameservers decide where your domain’s records are managed, and they are set with the company where you registered the domain. Records are the content itself: which server the website goes to and where email is received.

A practical example: if your nameservers point to your hosting, you edit records in your hosting control panel. If they point to another service such as Cloudflare, editing records in the hosting panel has no effect, because the internet reads your records from Cloudflare.

Why do DNS changes take time to appear?

When you change a DNS record or your nameservers, DNS servers around the world keep the old copy for a period called TTL (time to live). The update can therefore take from a few minutes up to 48 hours, and some visitors may still see the old site during that time. This is normal and is called “DNS propagation”.

Tip before moving a site: lower the TTL of the A record to 300 seconds a day before the move, so the new address spreads within minutes instead of hours, then set it back to its usual value once the site is stable.

When do you need to edit DNS yourself?

Most site owners only touch DNS settings in a few situations. These are the most common:

  • Connecting a new domain to your hosting: you change the nameservers to your host’s nameservers, so records are managed from its panel.
  • Moving your site to another host: you update the A record or the nameservers to the new server.
  • Running external business email such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365: you add the MX and TXT records the service gives you.
  • Connecting an external service such as an online store or a booking platform: you usually add a CNAME record for a subdomain such as shop or book.
  • Verifying domain ownership with Google Search Console or other services: you add a temporary TXT record.

Does DNS affect your site’s speed and security?

Yes, but only slightly for speed. A DNS lookup happens once on the first visit and is then cached, so the speed difference between DNS providers is a matter of milliseconds. Security matters more: whoever controls your account with the domain registrar can change your nameservers and send your website and email somewhere else. Protect your domain account with a strong password and two-step verification, turn on the transfer lock if it is available, and review your records from time to time to make sure there is no record you do not recognise.

Common DNS problems and how to fix them

  • The site does not open after a move: check that the A record points to the new IP address and that the nameservers are correct, then give the change time to propagate.
  • Email is not arriving: the MX record usually points to an old server, or there are several conflicting MX records.
  • Your messages go to spam: add an SPF record and enable DKIM; together they prove your messages come from an authorised server.
  • example.com works but www.example.com does not: you are missing a CNAME or A record for the www subdomain.

How to manage DNS for your domain at Hyyat Host

  • Change nameservers: from the client area, see how to change your nameservers.
  • Edit records (A, MX, TXT…): in cPanel → Zone Editor.
  • Step-by-step guides: our help center covers domains, email and cPanel.

If you are not sure which change you need, tell our support team what you want to run (a website, email or an external service) and we will tell you exactly which records to add.

Need a domain for your website? Check if your domain is available, or register a Saudi .sa domain, with full DNS management and support.
The Hyyat Host team

These articles are written by the Hyyat Host hosting, domains and email team, managing customer servers and services since 2002. We review and update them when prices or services change.

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