What is an A record?

An A record (Address record) is a DNS record that links a domain name to the server's IPv4 address.

In simpler terms: an A record tells DNS which IP address to go to when a domain is requested.

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#Why an A record is needed

When you type in the browser:

example.com

DNS looks up the A record and gets the answer:

example.com -> 93.184.216.34

After that, the browser:

• connects to the server by IP
• loads the site

Without an A record, a site will not open by its domain name.

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#What an A record actually does

An A record:

• works only with IPv4
• links name -> IP
• is used for sites, APIs, services

This is the most basic and most important DNS record.

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#Example of an A record

Simplified:

Both names lead to the same server.

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#Important points for an interview

• an A record -> IPv4
• for IPv6, an AAAA record is used
• one domain can have several A records (load balancing)
• an A record is stored in a DNS zone

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#A common trick question

Can a domain have no A record? Yes, if:

• the domain is used only for mail (MX)
• or as a CNAME

But for a website, an A record is almost always needed.

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#Real-life example

An A record is like:

• a person's name -> a phone number

The name is the domain The number is the IP address

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#Short interview answer

Remember this formulation:

An A record is a DNS record that links a domain name to the server's IPv4 address and is used to determine where to route network requests.