Restore default DNS records

DNS records are settings that control how your domain name connects to your WordPress.com site. In this guide, you will learn how to restore the default DNS records for your domain name.

DNS records are settings that tell the internet where to find your website and how to handle requests to your domain name. Think of them as a directory that connects your domain name to your WordPress.com site.

Every WordPress.com domain name includes default DNS records that connect your domain name to your site. Your DNS records will look similar to this:

The default DNS records are:

• A record (with the @ symbol): Connects your domain name to your WordPress.com site.
• CNAME record for www: Redirects the www version of your domain name to your main site.
• TXT _domainconnect record: Allows quick connections to services like Office365 email.

If you have added email hosting or site verification, those records will also appear in your DNS records list.

Restore your default DNS records if your domain name or email isn’t working correctly. Common signs that you need to restore your default DNS records include errors seeing your site when you visit your domain name (A or CNAME records) or you are unable to send or receive email (MX records).

In your site’s dashboard, you may also see a notice that your domain name is not using default DNS records. If you changed these records intentionally and your domain name works correctly, you can ignore the notice. If you want to restore the default records, follow the steps in the sections below.

The default A records ensure your domain name displays your WordPress.com site. To restore them, follow these steps:

1. In your site’s dashboard, navigate to Upgrades → Domains (or Hosting → Domains if using WP Admin).
2. Select your domain name.
3. Click on “DNS Records” and then click the “Manage” button.
4. Click the three dots at the top of the page.
5. Select “Restore default A records” from the menu:

You can also restore A records by deleting any custom A records you previously added.

The default CNAME record redirects subdomain requests to your main domain name. For example, if someone visits shop.yourgroovydomain.com but that subdomain doesn’t exist, they’ll be redirected to yourgroovydomain.com. This also ensures visitors to www.yourgroovydomain.com reach yourgroovydomain.com.

To restore the default CNAME record, follow these steps:

1. In your site’s dashboard, navigate to Upgrades → Domains (or Hosting → Domains if using WP Admin).
2. Select your domain name.
3. Click on “DNS Records” and then click the “Manage” button.
4. Click the three dots at the top of the page.
5. Select “Restore default CNAME record” from the menu:

Note: If you see an error message when trying to restore the CNAME record, you may need to delete your existing www record first. After deleting it, try restoring the default CNAME record again.

MX records are DNS settings that control where email sent to your domain name is delivered. If you have Professional Email or Google Workspace and your email isn’t working, you can restore the required email records. If your email is through another provider, you will want to manually set those records up.

To restore your email records, follow these steps:

1. In your site’s dashboard, navigate to Upgrades → Domains (or Hosting → Domains if using WP Admin).
2. Select your domain name.
3. Click on “DNS Records” and then click the “Manage” button.
4. Click the three dots at the top of the page.
5. Select “Restore default email records” from the menu.

Some records are created by default and show “Handled by WordPress.com” in their value fields. To replace these records, add a new record of the same type. The default record will be replaced automatically.

For example, to point your domain name to a different host, add the A records provided by your hosting provider. The default A records will be replaced automatically with the records you added.

The “_domainconnect” record lets you connect to services like Office 365 without manually editing DNS records. This record is enabled by default on domain names using WordPress.com name servers.

To disable this record, click the three dots next to it and select Disable.

To enable this record again, click the three dots next to it and select Enable.