AAAA record
An AAAA record (say "quad A") connects a name to an IPv6 address. It does the same job as an A record for the newer, longer addresses. Most phones and many home connections now prefer IPv6 when a site offers it.
| Record type | AAAA |
|---|---|
| Type number | 28 |
| Used for | Websites |
| How common | Everyday |
| Defined in | RFC 3596 |
Format
<name> <ttl> IN AAAA <IPv6 address>
| Field | What it means | Accepted values |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The name being pointed. | A host name, @ for the domain itself. |
| TTL | How long resolvers may cache the answer. | Seconds; usually the same as the A record. |
| Address | The server's IPv6 address. | Eight groups of up to four hex digits separated by colons. A run of zero groups can be shortened to :: once, as in 2001:db8::10. |
Check an AAAA record
Type or paste a record in zone-file form (name, TTL, type, value) or just its value. Each part is explained as you type.
A valid AAAA record.
| Part | What it means |
|---|---|
| Name@ | @ means the domain itself (the root, or apex), such as example.com. |
| TTL3600 | Resolvers may keep this answer for 1 hour before asking again. Changes can take that long to reach everyone. |
| ClassIN | Internet. Every record you'll write uses IN. |
| TypeAAAA | IPv6 address. |
| Address2001:db8::10 | An address reserved for documentation. Replace it with your server's address. |
Examples
Alongside an A record
@ 3600 IN A 192.0.2.10 @ 3600 IN AAAA 2001:db8::10
The usual setup: both addresses for the same server. Clients with IPv6 use the AAAA, the rest use the A.
Shortened form
www 3600 IN AAAA 2001:db8:0:0:0:0:0:1
The same as 2001:db8::1. Both forms are valid; DNS stores the bytes, not the text.
Do I need an AAAA record?
Only if your server really has an IPv6 address. A site with just an A record works for everyone, because IPv6-only networks reach IPv4 sites through translation. A wrong AAAA record is worse than none: visitors on IPv6 try it first and wait for it to fail.
If you use a host such as Cloudflare, Vercel or Netlify, they publish AAAA records for you when you point the domain at them.
See it on a real domain
TTL
Keep it the same as the matching A record, so both addresses change together. How TTL works
Common mistakes
- Publishing an IPv6 address the server doesn't actually listen on. IPv6 visitors try it first and the site seems slow or broken for them.
- Putting an IPv4 address in an AAAA record.
- Forgetting the AAAA record when moving servers, so IPv6 visitors still reach the old one.
- Copying a link-local address (starting fe80:) from a server's settings. Those only work on the local network.
At your DNS host
- Cloudflare: proxied AAAA records answer with Cloudflare's IPv6 addresses, and Cloudflare reaches your server over IPv4 if it has no IPv6.
- Most dashboards list AAAA next to A in the record type menu; enter the address with or without the :: shortening.
Questions
Why is it called AAAA?
An IPv6 address is 128 bits, four times the 32 bits of an IPv4 address, so the record type is four As.
Can I have an AAAA record without an A record?
Yes, but visitors on IPv4-only networks then can't reach the name. Most sites publish both.
How do I find my server's IPv6 address?
Your host's control panel shows it, or run ip -6 addr on Linux and use the global address (not one starting fe80).
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