Glossary
Common terms around domains, DNS and hosting explained in plain language.
| Term | Explanation |
|---|---|
| A record | DNS record that links a name to an IPv4 address. |
| AAAA record | Same as an A record, but for an IPv6 address. |
| Auth code / transfer code / token | Secret code used to move a domain to another provider. See Requesting a transfer code. |
| CNAME | DNS record that points a name to another name (an alias). |
| DKIM | Digital signature on outgoing email. See Adding a DKIM record. |
| DMARC | Policy telling recipients what to do with email that fails SPF or DKIM. |
| DNS | The internet's "phone book": translates names into IP addresses and more. |
| DNSSEC | Securing DNS with digital signatures. See What is DNSSEC? |
| Glue record | IP address of a nameserver, stored at the registry. See What are glue records? |
| Holder (registrant) | The legal owner of a domain name. |
| ICANN | International organisation that sets the rules for .com, .net, .org and other generic extensions. |
| IDN | Domain name with special characters, such as é or ü. |
| MX record | DNS record indicating which server receives email for a domain. |
| Nameserver | Server that stores and answers a domain's DNS data. |
| PTR record | Reverse DNS: links an IP address to a name. See Reverse DNS. |
| Quarantine | Period after a domain is cancelled in which only the last holder can recover it. |
| Registrar | Party that registers domains with the registry, such as Knippin through its partner. |
| Registry | Organisation that manages an extension, such as SIDN for .nl, DNS Belgium for .be and EURid for .eu. |
| SIDN | The registry for .nl. |
| SPF | TXT record listing the servers allowed to send email for your domain. See Setting up SPF and DMARC. |
| SSL / TLS | Encryption of the connection, recognisable by https and the padlock in the browser. |
| Transfer lock | Lock on a domain that prevents transfers. Does not exist for .nl. |
| TTL | How long (in seconds) other servers may remember a DNS answer. |
| TXT record | DNS record with free text, used for SPF, DKIM and verifications among others. |
| WHOIS | Public lookup service with details about a domain registration. See WHOIS and privacy. |
| Zone | All DNS records of one domain together. |