How long does it take for DNS changes to propagate?

DNS propagation typically takes anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours, depending on the TTL (Time to Live) value set on the records. Lower TTLs mean faster propagation but more DNS queries. Most providers recommend 300-3600 seconds (5-60 minutes) for active changes.

Can DNS affect website performance?

Yes. DNS resolution time contributes to overall page load time. Slow DNS servers, high TTLs that cache outdated data, or misconfigured records can all negatively impact performance. Using a fast DNS provider like Cloudflare or Google DNS can help.

Does SiteGraph check DNS records?

Yes! SiteGraph performs a full DNS lookup for every scanned website, reporting A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME, and CAA records. We also check IPv6 support based on AAAA record presence.

DNS Record Types Explained: A, AAAA, MX, CNAME, TXT and More — SiteGraph Blog

The Domain Name System (DNS) is often called the phonebook of the internet. It translates human-readable domain names (like example.com) into machine-readable IP addresses (like 192.0.2.1). DNS records are the individual entries that make this system work.

Understanding DNS record types is essential for anyone who manages a website or wants to understand how the internet routes traffic.

Essential DNS Record Types

A Record

The A (Address) record maps a domain name to an IPv4 address. This is the most fundamental DNS record type — without it, users wouldn't be able to reach your website by typing your domain name.

Example: example.com A 192.0.2.1

AAAA Record

The AAAA record (pronounced "quad-A") is the IPv6 equivalent of the A record. It maps a domain name to an IPv6 address. As IPv6 adoption grows, having proper AAAA records becomes increasingly important.

Example: example.com AAAA 2001:db8:85a3::8a2e:370:7334

CNAME Record

A CNAME (Canonical Name) record maps one domain name to another. It's commonly used for subdomains like www.example.com pointing to example.com, or for pointing to CDN or hosting platform endpoints.

CNAME records are particularly useful for SiteGraph's hosting detection — a CNAME pointing to proxy-ssl.vercel.com indicates Vercel hosting, just as amazonaws.com indicates AWS.

MX Record

MX (Mail Exchange) records specify the mail servers responsible for receiving email for a domain. Each MX record has a priority value — lower numbers are tried first.

Example: example.com MX 10 mail.example.com

Analyzing MX records can reveal which email provider a company uses — Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, ProtonMail, or a custom mail server.

TXT Record

TXT records store text information for various purposes. They're commonly used for:

SPF: Specifies which servers are authorized to send email for the domain
DKIM: Provides a public key for verifying email signatures
DMARC: Tells receiving servers how to handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks
Domain verification: Used by services like Google Search Console to verify domain ownership

NS Record

NS (Name Server) records specify which DNS servers are authoritative for a domain. They tell the internet where to look for all other DNS records for that domain.

CAA Record

CAA (Certificate Authority Authorization) records specify which Certificate Authorities are allowed to issue TLS certificates for the domain. This is a security measure that helps prevent unauthorized certificate issuance.

IPv6 Support

SiteGraph checks whether a website has IPv6 support by looking for AAAA records. As the internet transitions from IPv4 to IPv6, having IPv6 support becomes increasingly important for reachability and performance.

DNS and Website Analysis

DNS records reveal a wealth of information about a website's infrastructure. SiteGraph analyzes DNS records for every scanned website, providing insights into hosting infrastructure, email providers, security configurations, and more. Check any website's DNS records by entering the domain in SiteGraph's search box.

DNS Record Types Explained: A, AAAA, MX, CNAME, TXT and More