Domains & DNS: The Professional Guide
Domains are the front door to your business on the internet. But a domain is more than a name—it’s an ownership record and a set of DNS instructions that route users to your services.
If hosting is “where your app runs,” DNS is “how users find it.”
This guide covers domain ownership, DNS records, and the best practices teams use to avoid downtime.
Domain ownership: what you actually control
When you buy a domain, you’re not “buying the name”—you’re registering the right to use it, under an agreement, for a period of time.
Professionals keep these items tight:
- Registrar account access (MFA, least privilege)
- Renewal settings (auto-renew + payment method)
- Domain lock
- Verified contact email
DNS in one paragraph
DNS maps names to destinations. You edit records (A, AAAA, CNAME, TXT, MX) and set TTL values that affect propagation speed.
Core DNS records (and when to use them)
| Record | Purpose | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| A | Name → IPv4 | Point example.com to a server IP |
| AAAA | Name → IPv6 | Same as A, for IPv6 |
| CNAME | Name → another name | Point www to example.com or to a service hostname |
| TXT | Verification / policies | SSL validation, SPF/DMARC, ownership checks |
| MX | Mail routing | Send email to your mail provider |
The “safe migration” workflow
When moving between hosting providers, the goal is to reduce impact while DNS changes propagate:
- Lower TTL ahead of time (hours → minutes)
- Prepare the new destination (hosting/VPS, SSL)
- Switch DNS records
- Monitor error rates and traffic
- Keep old infrastructure warm until stable
Related:
- Hosting fundamentals: Web hosting, done right
- When you need more control: VPS explained
DNS + SSL: why HTTPS depends on clean DNS
HTTPS relies on DNS correctness:
- Certificates are issued for domain names.
- Validation often uses DNS (TXT records) or HTTP challenges.
Read: SSL explained
WHOIS and privacy
WHOIS records can expose domain-owner contact details, which increases spam and targeted social engineering. WHOIS protection reduces that exposure.
Read: WHOIS protection
Quick links to product pages
Explore the related product pages:
- Register and manage domains → Domains
- Keep ownership details private → WHOIS Protection
- Deploy websites and apps → Shared Hosting
- Encrypt traffic end‑to‑end → SSL