What each record does, an example, and how to enter it in Manage DNS on the Domain Hosting page.
@ and www as A records to 102.220.218.221, the default parked page.| Field | What to type |
|---|---|
| Host | @ for the bare name (example.co.za). www, mail, or any label for a subdomain. Do not type the full name unless it is a different zone. |
| Type | A, AAAA, CNAME, MX or TXT. NS is shown but you cannot add or remove it. |
| TTL | Seconds the answer may be cached. Leave 3600 unless you have a reason to change it. |
| Destination | Depends on the type. See below. A long TXT fits in the box. |
@. The apex must be an A or AAAA. A CNAME on the apex is rejected.Points a name at an IPv4 address. This is the usual website record.
| Host | Destination | Result |
|---|---|---|
@ | 102.220.218.221 | example.co.za → that address |
www | 102.220.218.221 | www.example.co.za → that address |
Park Domain writes both of those for you. To point at your own server, use that server's IPv4 instead.
Same as A, but an IPv6 address. Add one only if the host actually has IPv6.
| Host | Destination |
|---|---|
@ | 2001:db8::1 |
Makes one name an alias of another name. The destination is a hostname, not an IP. Put a trailing dot if it is a full name outside this zone.
| Host | Destination | Result |
|---|---|---|
www | example.co.za. | www follows whatever @ points at |
shop | shops.myshopify.com. | shop.example.co.za follows that host |
www is a CNAME, do not also give it an A. Never put a CNAME on @.Says which server receives email for the name. The destination is a priority and a hostname. Lower priority is tried first. If you type only the hostname, priority 10 is used.
| Host | Destination | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
@ | 10 mail.example.co.za. | Mail for example.co.za goes to that host |
@ | 10 mx1.example.com. | Mail goes to an outside provider |
The hostname in the MX must itself have an A or AAAA. Do not point an MX at a CNAME. You can add a second MX with a higher number as a backup, for example 20 backup.example.com.
Free text. Used for SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and site-ownership checks. You can have more than one TXT on the same host. Paste the value the other service gave you. Do not add extra quotes unless they told you to.
| Use | Host | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| SPF | @ | v=spf1 mx -all |
| DMARC | _dmarc | v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.co.za |
| DKIM | selector._domainkey | the long v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=... string from your mail host |
| Ownership | @ | the exact string Google, Microsoft or the other service gave you |
A long DKIM value fits in the destination box. Save it as one record. Do not split it yourself.
Says which servers are authoritative for the zone. For a name we host these are ns1.oss.co.za and ns2.oss.co.za. They are shown in the editor. You cannot add or remove them there. Changing nameservers is a registrar action, not a record edit.
One automatic record per zone: the primary nameserver, the hostmaster address, and the timers. You do not edit it. It updates when the zone changes.
| Type | What it is |
|---|---|
| SRV | A service location: priority, weight, port and hostname. Used by some chat and directory systems. |
| CAA | Which certificate authorities may issue a TLS certificate for the name. |
| PTR | Reverse DNS. Not stored in this zone. It is set by the owner of the IP address. |
Ask support@oss.co.za if you need one of these. Do not try to force it into a TXT.
Parked name. Click Park Domain. That is @ and www as A 102.220.218.221.
Your own website. A on @ and www to your server's IPv4. Or a CNAME on www if the host told you to alias it.
Email as well. Add an MX on @, then the SPF TXT on @, the DKIM TXT on the selector host, and the DMARC TXT on _dmarc. The mail host's instructions are the source for those three strings.
Domain Hosting help · Support: support@oss.co.za