DNS records explained
What the records Sitebefy asks you to create actually do, in plain terms.
Connecting a domain means creating DNS records. You do not need to understand DNS to follow the instructions, but knowing what these do makes it much easier to tell when something is wrong.
What DNS is#
DNS is the address book of the internet. When someone types your domain, their computer asks DNS where to find it. Connecting a domain means writing your site's location into that address book.
The record types you will see#
An A record points a name at a numeric server address. A CNAME record points one name at another name. A TXT record holds a piece of text, which is how a service proves you control the domain.
TTL, and why changes are not instant#
Each record carries a TTL: how long others may remember the answer before asking again. That is why a change takes time to spread. It is not broken, and editing the record again does not speed it up, it restarts the wait.
Wherever the domain's nameservers point, which is not always where you bought it. If you changed records and nothing happened, this is usually why.