What DNS is and how it works
Every server on the internet is reached by a numeric IP address, but people remember names, not numbers. DNS — the Domain Name System — is the address book that turns a name like example.com into the IP address of the server that answers for it. When someone opens your site, their device asks a chain of DNS servers "which IP is example.com?", gets the answer in a few milliseconds, and connects.
Your domain points to a set of nameservers — your registrar's or your CDN provider's — and those nameservers hold your DNS records: the individual lines that say where each part of your domain goes. Changing nameservers moves the whole address book at once; editing a record changes a single line in it.
The records you'll actually use
In practice you only need a handful of record types. An A record points a name at an IPv4 address (AAAA at an IPv6 one) — this is how your root domain reaches your server. A CNAME points one name at another name, an alias typically used for www or subdomains.
The rest handle everything around the site: MX records route your email, TXT records hold verification and policy values (SPF, DKIM, domain-ownership checks), and NS records delegate a subdomain to other nameservers. Every record also carries a TTL — how long resolvers may cache it before checking again — which is the key to changing DNS without surprises.
Changing your DNS safely — and pointing to a CDN
To change a record, log in wherever your domain's DNS is managed, open the DNS/zone editor and edit the A or CNAME entry. Nothing breaks the instant you save: resolvers keep serving the old value until its TTL expires, so lowering the TTL a day before a planned change makes the switch propagate faster — usually minutes, up to 48 hours in the worst case.
To route your site through a CDN you point your domain at the CDN's edge — an A record to the edge IP, or a CNAME to the CDN hostname. On cdn.com.tr the panel shows the exact records to set, and DNS with automatic SSL is managed for you, so certificates are issued and renewed with no manual steps.
When DNS matters most
Point a newly registered domain at your site or CDN with one A or CNAME record and it goes live worldwide once it propagates.
A single record change reroutes your traffic through the CDN edge — faster delivery, caching and DDoS protection, with no code changes.
MX records deliver your mail; TXT records prove domain ownership for SSL, email authentication and third-party services.
DNS FAQ
How long do DNS changes take to work?
From a few minutes to 48 hours. Resolvers cache your records for the length of the TTL, so the old value can linger until it expires. Lowering the TTL before a change makes the switch faster.
A record or CNAME — which do I use?
Use an A record to point a name straight at an IP address (usually your root domain). Use a CNAME to alias one name to another hostname (usually www or a subdomain). A root domain normally cannot be a CNAME.
Will changing my DNS cause downtime?
Done correctly, no. Because resolvers keep serving the old value until the TTL expires, visitors reach the old or new target during the switch — not an error. Keep both endpoints live until propagation finishes.