Free CNAME Record Lookup & Checker

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Check live CNAME DNS records, TTL values, and trace the full root-to-authoritative resolution path.

CNAME (Canonical Name) Records Overview

What is a CNAME record?

A CNAME record maps a domain or subdomain to another domain name (its canonical name) instead of to an IP address. The target is then resolved to its A/AAAA records.

Why do you need a CNAME record?

CNAME records let you point multiple names to a single canonical hostname, so you only update one record when the underlying IP changes - useful for CDNs, www aliases, and SaaS endpoints.

CNAME record structure

A CNAME record includes the alias name, TTL, record type (CNAME), and the target domain. Example: www.example.com. 3600 IN CNAME example.com.

How to create a CNAME record?

Log in to your DNS provider's console, select your domain, and add a CNAME record with the alias hostname and the target (canonical) domain it should point to.

FAQs

No. A name that has a CNAME cannot have most other record types. This is why a CNAME cannot be placed at the zone apex (the root domain).

Not with a standard CNAME, because the apex already has SOA and NS records. Some providers offer 'CNAME flattening' or ALIAS/ANAME records to achieve similar behaviour.

Yes, CNAME chains are allowed, but long chains add lookups and latency. Keep chains short and avoid loops.

A CNAME adds one extra resolution step (the alias is resolved to its target, then to an IP). The impact is usually negligible thanks to DNS caching.

A CNAME is a DNS-level alias resolved before any connection is made; a redirect (301/302) happens at the HTTP layer after the server responds. They solve different problems.

CNAME Record Troubleshooting & Common Fixes

DNS provider gives an error when trying to add a CNAME on the root domain

The DNS specification (RFC 1912 Section 2.4) states that if a CNAME record exists at a node, no other records may exist there. Because your root domain (e.g. example.com) must have SOA and NS records, setting a CNAME on the root domain violates protocol and is rejected by standard DNS servers.

How to fix: If a third-party platform (such as Shopify, Squarespace, or GitHub Pages) requests a CNAME, check if your DNS host supports “CNAME Flattening” (Cloudflare), ALIAS (DNS Made Easy, Namecheap), or ANAME. These features let you enter a hostname, but the nameserver automatically resolves it and responds with standard A records. Alternatively, use their direct A records.

SSL certificate error (“Common Name Invalid”) after creating CNAME

When you point a CNAME from shop.yourdomain.com to an external SaaS platform (e.g. shops.myshopify.com), the DNS resolution works, but visiting the site in Chrome or Safari shows an SSL warning: Your connection is not private (NET::ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID).

How to fix: A CNAME only redirects traffic at the network address layer. The target server must also be configured to terminate SSL with a certificate valid for shop.yourdomain.com. In the external service dashboard, add your custom domain to their “Domains” settings so their system can provision and bind an SSL certificate.

Email to subdomain fails because of a CNAME conflict

If you have an email address associated with a subdomain (like info@mail.example.com), placing a CNAME on mail.example.com wipes out any MX, TXT, or SPF records on that same subdomain.

How to fix: If a subdomain handles email, replace the CNAME record with direct A/AAAA records. Then publish the required MX and SPF records directly on that subdomain.

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