Root A Record

What This Check Does

The Root A Record check verifies that an A record exists for your domain apex (e.g., example.com). An A record maps your domain to an IPv4 address, which is essential for users to reach your website when they type your domain name directly into their browser.

DNS Spy queries the A record for your domain root and verifies that at least one valid IPv4 address is returned.

Why It Matters

The A record at your domain apex is one of the most fundamental DNS records. Without it, users who navigate to your bare domain (example.com, not www.example.com) will see a DNS resolution error. This can confuse users, damage your brand, and result in lost traffic and revenue.

While some domains use CNAME flattening or ALIAS records at the apex, a standard A record is the most universally compatible approach. Even if you redirect apex traffic to www, an A record should exist to handle the redirect.

Good vs. Bad Configuration

Bad Configuration

example.com has no A record. Users navigating to example.com receive a DNS resolution error (NXDOMAIN or NODATA). The www subdomain works, but the bare domain does not.

Good Configuration

example.com has an A record pointing to 198.51.100.1 (your web server or load balancer). Users can access your site at both example.com and www.example.com.

How DNS Spy Monitors This

DNS Spy checks for the presence of an A record at your domain apex during every monitoring cycle. If the A record is missing, an alert is triggered. DNS Spy also tracks changes to your A records, notifying you if an IP address changes or the record is accidentally deleted.