How to Add DNS Records on Porkbun

Are you ready to start using your Porkbun domain name with an outside web, email or other host and need to add DNS records? If so, you’re in exactly the right place! We’ll start by walking through the basic steps of adding DNS records before comparing the different requirements of the various record types.

Adding a DNS Record

1

To add DNS records, you’ll need to first navigate to the Domain management page and find the domain you want to add the DNS records to.

From there, you can open the 'Manage DNS Records' window in two ways. The first is to hover over the domain name, then click the small DNS button that appears

Alternatively, you can expand the Details for the domain, then click Edit in the DNS Records section.

2

That will open the 'Manage DNS Records' window. The top section in this window is where DNS records are added. There are a few different items to be entered:

First is the record type. There are multiple types of DNS records for different types of services like web, email and more. Your host will provide the record types for any records you need. We’ll leave the default A (address) record, which is commonly used for web hosting.

Next is the 'Host' field, which is also commonly referred to as a Name. Anything entered in the Host field will create a subdomain. For example, it’s common to configure an A record with a Host value of ‘www’ so that people visiting the ‘www’ subdomain will be pointed to your website.

It’s also common for the Host value to be left blank, which lets you configure the root domain, goosehollow.ink in the example.

Next is the 'Answer' field, also commonly referred to as the Destination or Value. The answers can have different requirements depending on the record types. Since we are using an A record, the answer must be an IPv4 address.

TTL, Priority and Notes

The 'TTL' (time to live) determines how long DNS records will remain cached at external locations, set in seconds. Since this rarely has any impact on functionality, the default of 600 seconds (10 minutes) is usually fine to leave. Porkbun’s DNS supports TTLs as low as 600 and as high as 86400.
The 'Priority' is not used for A records, but is required for some other records, like MX records. The Priority will always be a number.
Finally the 'Notes' section is exactly what it sounds like, a place where you can make a note about the record you are adding. Notes do not impact functionality at all.

3

After you have filled out all of the required details for your DNS record, click the blue 'Add' button.

Congratulations! You should now see the values you entered disappear, and if you scroll down you will see your record in the 'Current Records' section. It may take as long as a day or two for new DNS records to fully propagate and work everywhere.

Requirements for different record types

A (address) records must have an answer that is an IPv4 address but have no other unique requirements.
MX records are used to define the service you will use for receiving email on your domain. Answers for MX records can be a either a fully qualified domain name or an IPv4 address.
CNAME records are a type of record that acts as a passthrough for all other record types. Because of this, the Host value of a CNAME record cannot be left empty and must be unique and cannot be shared with other records for the domain. The Answer for a CNAME record must be a fully qualified domain name.
ALIAS records function similarly to CNAME records letting you point to a host name. Unlike CNAME records that pass through all record types, ALIAS records only pass through A and AAAA records for web hosting. This allows them to be used on the root domain and alongside other DNS records for the same domain, but also means they are not fully interchangeable with CNAME records which pass through all record types.
TXT (text) records are typically used to verify ownership of your domain when connecting it to an outside service. They do not have any functionality other than to be readable and therefore do not have any requirements for what can be set for the Host or Answer.
NS records are used to set the authoritative nameservers for subdomains. The Answer for NS records needs to be a fully qualified domain or IPv4 address.
AAAA records are another type of address record. Unlike an A record, AAAA records require that the answer is an IPv6 address, but otherwise function the same.
SRV records are used for pointing services other than web and email, such as game servers and telephony services. SRV records require specific formatting that you can read in our SRV record guide.