Domain Name System — Concepts
DNS is the phone book of the internet. Every domain, email MX record, SPF/DKIM TXT record, and service discovery entry depends on it.
What It Defines
Defines the DNS domain namespace, resource records, name servers, resolvers, and the overall architecture for distributed name resolution. This is the conceptual foundation that RFC 1035 implements.
Canonical (Normative)
Convenient (Practical)
Related References
The canonical publication point for finalized RFCs. If a protocol is standardized as an RFC, the RFC Editor text is the normative final reference. Published by the IETF, IRTF, IAB, and independent stream.
Related Specs
The record types (A, MX, TXT, CNAME) you configure in every DNS panel live in this spec. Know what you're setting.
Every URL in your app, API, auth redirect, webhook, or deep link is built on this grammar. Essential for routing, redirects, and OAuth callback validation.
Without a correct SPF record, your domain's email will fail or be deferred by major receivers (Gmail, Outlook). Set correctly as part of basic email deliverability.
DKIM is required to pass DMARC. Without it, your email won't be trusted by major providers. Set up alongside SPF as part of any serious email configuration.
DMARC is the final layer of email authentication. Without it, your domain can be spoofed in phishing. Google and Yahoo require DMARC for bulk senders.