What Is a DNS Server?

DNS Meaning – What Does DNS Stand For?

A DNS server is a system that stores and provides information about domain names and how they should be handled on the internet. Its primary job is to answer questions like:

Where is this website hosted?
Which server is responsible for handling email for this domain?
Which DNS provider is managing the domain (such as Google DNS, Cloudflare, or another service)?

Whenever someone visits a website, sends an email, or connects to an online service, a DNS server is consulted to determine where that request should be sent.

Without DNS servers, the internet would not function in a reliable or user-friendly way.

What Does a DNS Server Do?

In simple terms, a DNS server:

Converts domain names into IP addresses
Directs website traffic to the correct web server
Tells email systems where to deliver messages
Helps apply security and reliability rules for a domain

Every online action that involves a domain name relies on DNS servers working correctly behind the scenes.

Types of DNS Servers Explained

There are several different types of DNS servers, each with a specific role.

Authoritative DNS Servers

Authoritative DNS servers hold the official DNS records for a domain. These records define:

Website hosting (A and AAAA records)
Email routing (MX records)
Verification and security settings (TXT records, SPF, DMARC, DKIM)

If a DNS record needs to be changed, it is updated on the authoritative DNS server.

Recursive DNS Servers

Recursive DNS servers act as lookup agents for users. When you type a website address into your browser, your device asks a recursive DNS server to find the answer.

The recursive server: