A typical zone file includes several types of DNS records, each serving a specific purpose. These zone files are found in your domains Authoritative DNS server.
Zone File Record Types
Here are some common types of DNS records found in a zone file:
| SOA | Start of Authority. This record indicates the primary DNS server for the domain and includes administrative information such as the domain’s administrator, the domain’s serial number, and timers for how long secondary DNS servers should consider their data valid. |
| NS | Name Server. Specifies authoritative DNS servers for the domain. |
| A | Associates a domain with an IPv4 address. |
| AAAA | Associates a domain with an IPv6 address. |
| CNAME | Canonical Name. Creates an alias for one domain to point to another domain. |
| MX | Mail Exchange. Specifies mail servers responsible for receiving emails for the domain. |
| PTR | Pointer. Used for reverse DNS lookups, associating an IP address with a domain. |
| TXT | Text. Used to store arbitrary text data. It is often used for domain verification, SPF records, and other purposes. |
| SRV | Service. Specifies information about available services in the domain, particularly used for SIP and XMPP. |
| CAA | Certification Authority Authorization. Specifies which certificate authorities (CAs) are allowed to issue certificates for the domain. |
These are just a few examples, and zone files can include additional record types for different purposes. The zone file serves as the authoritative source of information for the domain’s DNS records, and changes made to the zone file affect how the domain is resolved across the internet.