DNS Record Types

The DNS client supports all standard DNS record types as defined in various RFCs. This document covers the available record types and their usage.

Supported Record Types

Type	Value	Description	Example Data
A	1	IPv4 address	"93.184.216.34"
NS	2	Nameserver	"ns1.example.com"
CNAME	5	Canonical name	"www.example.com"
SOA	6	Start of authority	Complex record
PTR	12	Pointer record	"host.example.com"
MX	15	Mail exchange	{ preference: 10, exchange: "mail.example.com" }
TXT	16	Text record	"v=spf1 include:_spf.example.com ~all"
AAAA	28	IPv6 address	"2606:2800:220:1:248:1893:25c8:1946"
SRV	33	Service location	Complex record
NAPTR	35	Name authority pointer	Complex record
OPT	41	EDNS(0)	Used for EDNS support
SSHFP	44	SSH fingerprint	Complex record
TLSA	52	TLS certificate association	Complex record
DNSKEY	48	DNSSEC public key	Complex record
CAA	257	Certification authority authorization	Complex record

Usage Examples

Basic Query

// Single record type
const client = new DnsClient({
  domains: ['example.com'],
  type: 'A'
})

// Multiple record types
const client = new DnsClient({
  domains: ['example.com'],
  type: ['A', 'AAAA', 'MX']
})

CLI Usage

# Single record type
dnsx example.com A

# Multiple record types
dnsx example.com A AAAA MX

# All supported record types
dnsx example.com --type=any

Response Format

Each record in the response follows this structure:

interface DnsAnswer {
  name: string // Domain name
  type: RecordType // Record type (numeric)
  class: QClass // Usually IN (1)
  ttl: number // Time-to-live in seconds
  data: any // Record type specific data
}

Example Responses

A Record

{
  name: "example.com",
  type: 1,              // RecordType.A
  class: 1,             // QClass.IN
  ttl: 3600,
  data: "93.184.216.34"
}

MX Record

{
  name: "example.com",
  type: 15,             // RecordType.MX
  class: 1,             // QClass.IN
  ttl: 3600,
  data: {
    preference: 10,
    exchange: "mail.example.com"
  }
}

Best Practices

1. Query Efficiency: Only request the record types you need
2. Multiple Types: Use array syntax for multiple record types
3. TTL Handling: Always respect the TTL values in responses
4. Error Handling: Handle cases where records don't exist
5. DNSSEC: Use appropriate record types for DNSSEC validation

Advanced Usage

For more complex record type handling and examples, see:

• DNSSEC Records
• Complex Record Types
• Record Type Validation