DNS Records Explained

When connecting a custom domain to zero8, you'll need to add DNS records to your domain provider. Here's what each record type means and when to use it.

CNAME record

A CNAME (Canonical Name) record points your domain or subdomain to another hostname.

zero8 uses this for subdomains like www:

www.yourcompany.com  →  CNAME  →  custom.zero8.ai

Use this when: connecting www.yourdomain.com or any subdomain (e.g. app., help.).

A record

An A record points a domain directly to an IP address.

yourcompany.com  →  A  →  123.456.789.0

Use this when: your DNS provider doesn't support ALIAS/ANAME records and you need to connect a root/apex domain (without www).

ALIAS / ANAME record

An ALIAS or ANAME record works like a CNAME but is allowed at the root/apex domain level. Not all DNS providers support this.

yourcompany.com  →  ALIAS  →  custom.zero8.ai

Use this when: connecting a root domain and your DNS provider supports ALIAS/ANAME (e.g. Cloudflare, DNSimple).

How long do DNS changes take?

DNS propagation typically takes:

You can check propagation progress at dnschecker.org.

Common mistakes

• Trailing dot — some providers add a . at the end of CNAME values automatically; others require you to add it. If your provider requires it, use custom.zero8.ai.
• Conflicting records — if you already have an A record for www, remove it before adding the CNAME
• TTL too high — if you're changing an existing record, a high TTL means old values are cached longer. Lower the TTL before making changes if possible

Updated on: 12/03/2026