CNAME can be confusing for those unfamiliar with the technical terms in the world of domain names. In this blog, we’ll explore precisely what a CNAME record is and why it matters.
What is CNAME?
You may wonder what CNAME is and how it differs from your typical domain. Well, let me tell you: A CNAME, a.k.a ‘canonical name,’ is a type of DNS record that allows you to alias one domain name to another domain name.
This can be done for various reasons, but the most common is to point your domain name to another server without changing the address records.
What is a Domain Name?
Well, let me explain; a domain name is an alphanumeric string that represents your brand or website’s identity on the internet.
How do Canonical Names work?
You can think of CNAME as a type of DNS record pointing to an alias. Think of it like a phone number: it’s just the number you call, but it doesn’t tell you whom you’re calling.
CNAMEs are often used in web hosting where you might have an A Record (the IP address) pointing your domain name at one server and a CNAME pointing it at another server.
The most common use of CNAMEs is to serve multiple domains with one IP address, which makes scaling easier and cheaper, especially if your site grows rapidly.
You can use a CNAME record so that when someone types in your main site’s address, they’re automatically redirected to the subdomain.
For example, if you want to use a single WordPress installation on multiple subdomains (e.g., example.com/blog), then each subdomain would host its own files, but they’d all be served from the same URL (and so would share the same database).
In most straightforward words, a CNAME is like a nickname for an IP address, and it’s a type of DNS record that points to another URL instead of directly to the resource on another server.
Uses of CNAME records
- Direct multiple websites controlled by one company or group to that company’s main website.
- Assign a unique hostname for various network services, such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or email, and direct each hostname to the root domain.
- Allocate each client a subdomain on a single service provider’s domain and use the CNAME to direct the client’s root domain.
- To buy many domain registrations for the same website and direct each of them to the main domain.
There are a few things to keep in mind when using a CNAME record:
- You can only use a CNAME record for subdomains, not for your root domain (e.g., you can use a CNAME for www.myexample.com but not for myexample.com).
- You can’t use a CNAME record for an email address (e.g., you can’t use a CNAME to point example@myexample.com to your Gmail account).
- You can’t use a CNAME record if you’re already using another DNS record for the same subdomain (e.g., you can’t use a CNAME for www.myexample.com if you already have an A record for that subdomain).
Can one CNAME record point to another?
| blog.invisibleppc.com | record type: | value: | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|
| @ | CNAME | is an alias of www. invisibleppc.com | 32600 |
| blog.invisibleppc.com | record type: | value: | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|
| @ | CNAME | is an alias of www. invisibleppc.com | 32600 |
Ending Note
CNAME is another essential part of the internet, but you don’t have to worry about it. All you need to know is that it’s the main way your domain name is connected with the IP address. The Domain Name System handles this connection automatically, so you won’t have to do anything.
