AAAARecords

AAAA records, or AAAA records, are a type of DNS resource record that maps a domain name to an IPv6 address. They are the IPv6 counterpart to A records, which map names to IPv4 addresses. When a resolver queries a host for its AAAA record, the DNS server returns the associated IPv6 address(es) if available, enabling clients to connect over IPv6.

An AAAA record includes the owner name, the record type (AAAA), a time-to-live, and one IPv6 address written in standard textual form. IPv6 addresses use colon-separated hexadecimal groups and may be shortened using common compression rules. A domain can have multiple AAAA records, providing multiple IPv6 addresses for load balancing or multi-homing. Many domains publish both A and AAAA records to support dual-stack environments that offer both IPv4 and IPv6 connectivity.

DNS considerations include how clients behave when IPv6 is available or not. If a resolver finds an AAAA record, the client may attempt an IPv6 connection; if no AAAA is present, the client may fall back to IPv4 via A records. TTL values affect how quickly changes propagate, and DNSSEC can be applied to AAAA records to ensure data integrity and authenticity.

Usage and deployment typically involve publishing AAAA records for services such as web servers, mail servers, and other Internet-facing hosts in IPv6-enabled networks. In practice, many operators publish both A and AAAA records to maintain compatibility with diverse network environments and to support gradual IPv6 adoption.