A website can be fully designed, paid for and ready to launch, yet still show an error page because one small DNS value is wrong. Learning how to configure DNS records gives you control over where your domain sends visitors, how your business email works, and whether services such as payment platforms and Google Workspace can verify your domain.
DNS, or Domain Name System, works like the address directory of the internet. When someone enters your domain name, DNS tells their browser which server to contact. It also tells mail servers where to deliver messages and helps third-party services confirm that you own the domain. The records are technical, but the process is manageable when you know what each field means and make changes carefully.
Before You Configure DNS Records
First, identify where your DNS is actually managed. This is not always the same company that hosts your website. If you bought a domain from one provider but changed its nameservers to your hosting company, the active DNS zone is managed at the hosting company. Editing records at the registrar in that situation will not change anything publicly.
Check the domain’s nameservers in your domain control panel. Nameservers often look like `ns1.examplehost.com` and `ns2.examplehost.com`. They point your domain to the authoritative DNS provider, which is the only place where edits take effect.
Next, collect the exact values from the service you are connecting. Your hosting welcome email may provide a server IP address. An email provider may provide an MX destination, SPF record and DKIM record. Copy these values exactly. One missing full stop, an extra character or an incorrect record type can interrupt website access or email delivery.
Before changing an existing record, take a screenshot or copy its current value into a note. That gives you a quick rollback option if the new setting is incorrect.
The DNS Records Most Businesses Need
You do not need to memorise every record type. Most Nigerian businesses setting up a website and professional email will work with the following records.
- A record: Connects a domain or subdomain to an IPv4 server address. Your main website often uses an A record for `@`, which represents the root domain.
- CNAME record: Points one hostname to another hostname. It is commonly used to make `www` point to your root domain, or to connect verification and marketing services.
- MX record: Tells other mail servers where to deliver email for your domain. It is essential for addresses such as `hello@yourbusiness.ng`.
- TXT record: Holds text-based instructions used for domain verification, SPF, DKIM and DMARC. These records help protect your domain from email spoofing.
- AAAA record: Works like an A record but points to an IPv6 address. Only add it when your hosting provider supplies an IPv6 address and confirms it should be used.
Other records, such as SRV and CAA, have useful specialist roles. SRV can support particular communications services, while CAA limits which certificate authorities can issue SSL certificates for your domain. For a standard website and business email setup, however, start with the records you have been specifically instructed to add.
How to Configure DNS Records in Your Control Panel
The exact menu names differ between providers, but the workflow is similar in cPanel, a domain dashboard or a managed DNS portal. Sign in, select the domain, then look for DNS Zone, Zone Editor, Manage DNS, or DNS Records.
1. Confirm the record you need to edit
Do not add a new A or MX record automatically. Look first for an existing record with the same host or name. A duplicate can create unpredictable results, especially when several A records exist for the root domain.
If you are moving a website to a new host, you will usually edit the existing A record rather than create another one. If you are connecting an additional service, such as a verification tool, you may add the new CNAME or TXT record alongside your current records.
2. Enter the host or name correctly
The host field defines which part of the domain the record applies to. Most DNS panels use `@` for the main domain, such as `yourbusiness.ng`. Use `www` for `www.yourbusiness.ng`, and use a label such as `shop`, `blog` or `mail` for a subdomain.
Some dashboards automatically append your domain name. In those panels, entering `www.yourbusiness.ng` may accidentally create `www.yourbusiness.ng.yourbusiness.ng`. If the interface shows the full domain beside the field, enter only `www`. Follow the format used by the other records already in the zone.
3. Add the destination value and TTL
For an A record, the destination is an IP address, such as `192.0.2.10`. For a CNAME, it is a hostname, such as `target.service-provider.com`. For MX records, enter the mail server hostname supplied by your email provider and set the stated priority.
TTL means Time To Live. It tells resolvers how long they can cache the record before requesting a fresh answer. A TTL of 300 seconds can be useful shortly before a planned migration because it reduces the cache period. For stable records, 3,600 seconds is a common choice. A very low TTL is not inherently better, and it can increase DNS query activity without solving a configuration problem.
4. Save, then check for conflicts
Save the record and review the entire zone. If you are setting up an A record for `@`, check whether an old A record or AAAA record points elsewhere. If you are setting up email, make sure old MX records from a previous mail provider have been removed only when the new provider instructs you to do so.
Be particularly cautious with nameserver changes. Switching nameservers does not copy your existing DNS records to the new provider. If you change nameservers before recreating the website, email and verification records in the new zone, your services can stop working.
Set Up Website Records Properly
A typical website configuration uses one A record for the root domain and one CNAME record for `www`. For example, `@` points to the IP address supplied with your hosting account, while `www` points to `@` or to the root domain, depending on what your DNS panel accepts.
Do not point `www` and the root domain to different servers unless that is intentional. Visitors may see different sites, log in to different systems, or receive SSL warnings if the destination is not configured for both versions. Choose whether the canonical address should use `www` or not, then configure your website to redirect the other version consistently.
If your hosting account uses cPanel, confirm that the domain has been added to the correct hosting account before changing DNS. DNS can point traffic to a server, but the server must also know which website should answer for that domain. GiddyHost customers can use their hosting details and cPanel Zone Editor to make these checks in one place.
Configure Email DNS Without Losing Messages
Email DNS needs more care than website DNS because several records work together. MX records direct incoming mail. SPF authorises legitimate sending servers. DKIM adds a cryptographic signature to outgoing messages. DMARC tells receiving providers how to handle messages that fail SPF or DKIM checks.
When moving from one email provider to another, add the new provider’s required TXT records and MX records exactly as supplied. Remove old MX records only at the point the new provider says they are no longer needed. Leaving obsolete MX records can cause mail to arrive inconsistently, while deleting working records too early can stop messages from reaching your inbox.
For SPF, there should generally be one SPF TXT record per domain. If you use website forms, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and an email marketing tool, their authorised senders usually need to be combined into one record. Adding several separate SPF records can cause SPF validation to fail.
DKIM selectors may look unfamiliar, such as `selector1._domainkey`. That name is normal. Copy both the selector and the long TXT value without adding quotation marks unless your DNS panel adds them automatically.
Allow Time for DNS Propagation
DNS updates are not always visible immediately. Many changes appear within minutes, but propagation can take several hours and occasionally up to 24 to 48 hours, depending on TTL settings and cached responses. This is why website migrations and email changes should be planned outside your busiest trading period where possible.
Avoid repeatedly changing values while you wait. Each new edit can make diagnosis harder. Instead, verify that the saved record matches the provider’s instructions, then test the website in a private browser window and send a message to and from the new business email address.
If the website does not load after propagation, check the A record, nameservers and hosting account first. If email is failing, review MX priority, SPF formatting and whether the domain’s old mail records are still present. Clear, accurate records are the foundation for a fast website, trusted email and a business that remains reachable when customers are ready to buy.