Valid A/AAAA record
The A record is like the site's postal address. When someone types "yoursite.com" in their browser, the DNS system looks up this record to f…
Analyse my site for freeUnderstanding "Valid A/AAAA record"
An A record (for IPv4) or AAAA record (for IPv6) is the most fundamental DNS record: it maps a domain name to an IP address. Without it, a browser typing your domain name simply cannot know which server to connect to — it's the absolute starting point of any DNS resolution, before HTTPS, content, or performance even come into play.
This check is the most basic in the audit: if it fails, the entire site is unreachable, regardless of code quality or server configuration.
How TheSiteFuse checks "Valid A/AAAA record"
TheSiteFuse performs a DNS resolution of the domain (root, without the www. prefix), first querying the A type (IPv4), then falling back to AAAA (IPv6) if no A record is found. If either resolution succeeds, the first 3 returned IP addresses are displayed and the check passes. If resolution fails entirely, an error is returned — the most critical result in the whole audit.
Why "Valid A/AAAA record" matters
- Site fully unreachable — without a valid A/AAAA record, no visitor can reach the site by its domain name, regardless of any other configuration.
- Typical cause — this error usually occurs after a poorly finalised hosting migration, a domain expiration, or an incorrect DNS change at the registrar.
- Immediate SEO impact — a site unreachable even temporarily can see its ranking affected if crawlers encounter repeated DNS resolution failures during their visits.
Fix "Valid A/AAAA record" step by step
Check the DNS configuration
Log into your registrar's or host's DNS management interface and verify the presence of an A-type record pointing to your server's IP:
Type: A Name: @ (or yoursite.com) Value: 203.0.113.42 TTL: 3600
Quick diagnosis
dig yoursite.com A +short nslookup yoursite.com
If the command returns no IP address, the issue is confirmed on the DNS side. Check that your domain's nameservers (NS) actually point to the DNS zone where the A record was created — a common mistake is configuring the record with one provider while the active NS point to another.
Reference resource
To deepen your understanding of the technical concepts behind this check, see the dedicated Wikipedia article.
Wikipedia — Valid A/AAAA recordDoes your site pass this check?
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