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Glossary

AAAA Record

An AAAA record maps a domain name to an IPv6 address, the IPv6 equivalent of an A record used for modern internet addressing.

An AAAA record (pronounced "quad-A") maps a hostname to an ipv6 address. It is the IPv6 counterpart of the a-record; the four A's reflect that an IPv6 address is four times the size of an IPv4 one.

Example

example.com. 3600 IN AAAA 2606:2800:220:1:248:1893:25c8:1946

Why it matters for hosting

As IPv4 addresses grow scarce, more networks reach sites over ipv6. Publishing an AAAA record alongside your a-record ensures both IPv4- and IPv6-only clients can connect. Most browsers prefer IPv6 when an AAAA record exists.

A common pitfall: an AAAA record pointing to a server that is not actually listening on IPv6 causes slow, failing connections for IPv6 visitors. Always confirm the host serves traffic on the address before publishing the record.

See also

A Record An A record is the DNS entry that maps a domain name to an IPv4 address, telling browsers exactly which server hosts the website. IPv6 IPv6 is the 128-bit internet addressing scheme that replaces scarce IPv4, offering a virtually unlimited supply of addresses. DNS (Domain Name System) DNS is the internet phone book that translates human-readable domain names like example.com into the IP addresses computers use to connect.
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