What CNAME record means
CNAMEs are common for subdomains, such as pointing www to your hosting platform or a shop subdomain to an ecommerce provider. They let the provider change server addresses without you editing DNS. They are often required when connecting third-party services.
Why it matters for your website
Many services, such as hosting platforms, email tools and landing page builders, ask you to add a CNAME so a subdomain points to them. It lets your branded address follow the provider's servers even if their IP addresses change. Setting it up wrong usually means a broken subdomain or a failed verification.
Example
A consultant points shop.example.com to her ecommerce platform by adding a CNAME record for 'shop' that points to the address the platform gave her.
Tips
- Copy the target value exactly from the service's setup instructions.
- Use CNAMEs for subdomains like www, not for the root domain in standard DNS.
- Remove old CNAMEs when you stop using a service.
Common mistakes
- Adding a CNAME on a name that already has other records, which DNS does not allow.
- Leaving CNAMEs pointing at canceled services, which can allow subdomain takeover.
Questions about CNAME record
What is CNAME record?
A DNS record that points one domain name to another name instead of to an IP address.
Can I use a CNAME for my root domain?
Standard DNS does not allow a CNAME at the root domain. Some DNS providers offer workarounds called CNAME flattening or ALIAS records that act similarly.
What is the difference between a CNAME and an A record?
An A record points a name directly to an IP address. A CNAME points a name to another name, which then resolves to an IP address.
