appzasGamesToolsDevLearnReferenceNetworkTimeCalculatorsCompareLLM prices
appzas Academy

What is DNS?

Lesson 1 of 48 minBeginner

The system that turns names like example.com into the IP addresses computers use.

Computers find each other with numeric IP addresses, such as 93.184.216.34 or 2606:2800:220:1:248:1893:25c8:1946. People prefer names. The Domain Name System (DNS) is the global, distributed directory that maps names to addresses and other data.

Reading a domain name

Read it from right to left. In www.example.com:

  • The invisible root (a final dot) sits at the top of the hierarchy.
  • com is the top-level domain (TLD).
  • example is the domain you register with a registrar.
  • www is a subdomain you create yourself at no extra cost.

Registrar vs DNS provider

Two roles are often confused. The registrar is where you buy and renew the domain. The DNS provider hosts the records that say where the domain points. They can be the same company or different ones. The link between them is the domain's nameservers: the registrar tells the TLD which nameservers answer for your domain.

DNS is more than websites

The same system routes email (MX records), proves domain ownership (TXT records) and restricts who may issue certificates (CAA records). Lesson 2 covers them.

NoteWhen a site "does not load" it is often DNS: the name resolves to the wrong place or to nowhere.

Try it

Test yourself

Answer all the questions, then check them. Finish with every answer right to mark the lesson as done.

1. In www.example.com, what is "com"?
2. Which of these buys and renews a domain?
3. Besides websites, what else does DNS help with?

Key terms