Skip to content
OrbixPanel OrbixPanel Tutorials

CNAME records and subdomains explained

A CNAME record points one name at another name (instead of at an IP like an A record does). It’s the right tool for subdomains and third-party services.

A record vs CNAME

Use…When
A recordpointing a name directly at an IP (your root domain, www, mail)
CNAMEpointing a name at another hostname (an external service, or an alias)

The one rule: you generally can’t CNAME the root domain (yourdomain.com itself) — the root needs an A record. Subdomains can use either.

Add a subdomain on your own server

If the subdomain’s site lives on your OrbixPanel server, point it with an A record to your IP (simplest and most reliable):

blog   A   your.server.ip
shop   A   your.server.ip

Then create the website for blog.yourdomain.com and request SSL. In OrbixPanel you can also add a subdomain and it creates the folder, vhost, and DNS record together. See subdomains & multiple sites.

Point a subdomain at an external service

When a service (a status page, a help desk, a CDN) tells you to “add a CNAME,” that’s this:

status   CNAME   cname.theirservice.com.
help     CNAME   theirapp.provider.net.

The trailing dot on the target is normal in zone files.

Verify

Terminal window
dig +short blog.yourdomain.com
dig +short status.yourdomain.com CNAME

Give DNS 5–30 minutes to propagate after any change.

Running OrbixPanel? Add A, CNAME, MX, and TXT records right in the panel. OrbixPanel.com → — the free, self-hosted, AI-powered hosting control panel.