IT Glossary
What is DNS?
Domain Name System: the internet's address book — it translates domain names into the numeric addresses of servers.
Computers have no idea what "yourcompany.com" means — they talk to numeric addresses, and DNS is the global directory that translates one into the other every time someone opens your website or emails you. Its business weight becomes visible precisely when something breaks: the DNS records of your domain decide where site visitors land and, through MX records, where your email is delivered. One wrong change can pull the whole company off the internet, and unauthorized access to the domain management account is the digital equivalent of handing over the office keys. Three hygiene rules follow. Know where your DNS is managed — often a different place than your hosting — and who holds access. Protect that account with a strong password and two-factor authentication. And make sure the email authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC — all DNS entries) are configured, because without them your messages land in spam folders and criminals can impersonate your domain. Any site migration or provider switch should treat DNS as a planned step, never an improvisation.
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Why it matters for your business
Control of your online identity
Whoever manages the domain's DNS controls the company's site and email — keep that access in-house, documented and protected with 2FA.
Email that reaches the inbox
Correctly set SPF, DKIM and DMARC records keep your messages out of spam and impostors away from your domain name.
Migrations without vanishing acts
Switching hosts with prepared TTLs and a cutover plan means a smooth transition — not hours of the site randomly unreachable.
Frequently asked questions
I changed a DNS record and the site works for some people but not others — why?
Propagation: the directory is distributed globally and each resolver caches the old answer for the duration of the TTL, so changes appear gradually over minutes to hours. Professionals lower the TTL before migrations precisely to shorten that window.
Is our DNS managed at the hosting company or at the domain registrar?
It can be either — or a third party like Cloudflare: the registrar owns the domain, but the NS records decide who answers for it. Find out today; during an incident or migration, chasing that answer under pressure costs hours.
What are MX records, and why did email stop when the website was moved?
MX records tell the internet where your domain's email gets delivered — separately from the website. In careless migrations someone copies the site records and forgets MX: new site working, email gone. That is why every migration starts with a full inventory of the DNS zone.
Let’s talk about your project
Message us on WhatsApp or send an email — you talk directly to a developer.
office@northdan.com · +40 752 070 247