AAAA record
An AAAA record (read "quad-A") is a DNS entry that maps a domain name to a server's IPv6 address. It serves the same purpose as an A record, but for the newer, 128-bit version of the IP protocol. The four-letter name comes from the fact that an IPv6 address is four times longer than IPv4 (16 bytes instead of 4).
What an AAAA record involves
Its structure mirrors the A record, differing only in type and value format:
- name — a subdomain or @ for the root domain,
- type — AAAA,
- value — an IPv6 address written in hexadecimal, e.g. 2001:db8::1,
- TTL — how long the answer is kept in cache.
A domain usually has both an A and an AAAA record. The client (browser) then picks the protocol version using the Happy Eyeballs mechanism, which tries IPv4 and IPv6 in parallel and keeps the faster answer.
The AAAA record in practice
You add an AAAA record to make a site or service available to users connecting over IPv6 — on mobile networks and with providers who have exhausted their IPv4 pool. The condition is that the server actually listens on an IPv6 address; the DNS entry alone is not enough. In the DNS panel you set it exactly like an A record, entering an IPv6 address instead of IPv4, and it is equally worth planning the TTL ahead of a migration.
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Najczęstsze pytania
Do I need an AAAA record if I already have an A record?
It is not mandatory — a site with only an A record works for most users, since IPv4 still dominates. Adding an AAAA record, however, ensures reachability over IPv6, which matters on mobile networks and in regions short on IPv4 addresses. A domain can have both records at once.