Websites · Glossary
What is an apex domain?
An apex domain, also called a root or naked domain, is a registered domain name with nothing in front of it, such as example.com rather than www.example.com. It carries the zone's SOA and NS records, which is why DNS rules stop it from holding a CNAME record and why hosts offer ALIAS, ANAME or flattened records instead.
The apex is the address people type when they skip the www. Pointing it at a modern host is harder than pointing a subdomain, because the record most hosts ask for, a CNAME, is not allowed at the apex.
Nuwan Madhusanka · Co-founder
4 min read · Published
| Option | How it works | Where it is offered |
|---|---|---|
| A or AAAA record | The apex points straight at fixed IP addresses | Every DNS provider; breaks if the host changes its IPs |
| ALIAS or ANAME record | The DNS provider looks up the host's name and answers with its current IPs | Some providers, such as Route 53 alias records and others under the ANAME name |
| CNAME flattening | A CNAME is accepted at the apex and resolved to IPs before answering | Cloudflare and some others |
| Redirect to www | The apex sends visitors to www, which holds a normal CNAME | Most registrars through a forwarding setting |
What the apex is
DNS is a tree. Below a top level domain such as .com or .com.au sits your registered name, and that node is the apex of your zone. Everything else, such as www, shop or mail, is a subdomain below it. The apex is special because it must hold the zone's start of authority (SOA) record and its name server (NS) records. A CNAME record says a name is only an alias for another name and may not sit beside other records, as the DNS standards in RFC 1034 and RFC 1912 explain. Since the apex always has SOA and NS records, a CNAME there is not allowed.
How hosts get around it
Modern hosts and content delivery networks change their IP addresses, so they prefer you to point a CNAME at a name they control. For subdomains that is easy. For the apex, DNS providers invented workarounds. An ALIAS or ANAME record looks like a CNAME in the dashboard, but the provider resolves the target itself and answers with plain A and AAAA records. CNAME flattening does the same under a CNAME label. Amazon's Route 53 calls its version an alias record and limits it to certain AWS targets. If your provider offers none of these, the usual fallback is to redirect the apex to www and point www with a CNAME.
When it matters
It matters the moment you connect a custom domain. People type the bare name, print it on vans and say it out loud, so the apex must work as well as www. It matters when choosing a DNS provider, since not all of them support ALIAS or flattening. And it matters for email, because the apex also holds your MX and TXT records for mail, and a mistaken CNAME at the apex can break mail delivery for the whole domain.
Common mistakes
Pasting a host's CNAME value at the apex in a provider that silently drops or rejects it. Hard coding the host's current IP addresses in A records, which works until the host changes them. Setting the apex and www to different sites. Deleting MX records while tidying the apex. Forgetting that DNS changes take time to spread and testing from one device only. And leaving both versions live with no redirect, which splits links and search signals between two addresses.
Where it shows up in OneCraft
Custom domains on OneCraft sites are connected with a TXT record at _onecraft followed by your host name, a CNAME and a Verify step, after which a managed certificate is issued. An apex host needs an ALIAS or ANAME record at your DNS provider, because a CNAME is not allowed there. The first domain you add becomes primary, and other live hosts redirect to it. Custom domains need a paid plan: Starter allows 1, Pro 5, and Pro+ and up have no cap. Every site also has a free address on onecraft.live.
Questions people ask
Is example.com or www.example.com better?
Neither ranks better. What matters is choosing one as the main address and redirecting the other to it, so links and search signals collect in one place. The bare domain is shorter to say; www is easier to point with a CNAME. Pick one, set the redirect and use it consistently on print and social profiles.
Does my registrar support ALIAS records?
Check its DNS record type list for ALIAS, ANAME or CNAME flattening. Many registrars only offer A, AAAA, CNAME, MX and TXT. If yours does not, you can move DNS hosting to a provider that does while keeping the registration where it is, or redirect the apex to www.
Will an ALIAS record affect my email?
No, if it is set up correctly. An ALIAS record answers only address lookups, so MX and TXT records at the apex keep working. Problems start when someone tries a CNAME at the apex, which conflicts with every other record there, including the MX records that route your mail.
What is a naked domain?
Naked domain is another name for the apex domain: the registered name with no subdomain in front. People also call it the root domain or the bare domain. All four terms describe the same address, such as example.com typed without www, and all of them run into the same CNAME restriction.
How long does an apex DNS change take?
Most changes appear within minutes to a few hours, depending on the time to live set on the old records and on caching by internet providers. Lower the TTL a day before a planned change to shorten the wait, and check from a mobile connection as well as your office network.
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Create a website with OneCraftRelated questions
- What is a TXT record?What is a TXT record? A DNS record that holds text, used to prove you own a domain and to publish SPF, DKIM and DMARC email rules, with examples.
- What is a managed SSL certificate?What is a managed SSL certificate? One your host issues, validates and renews for you, compared with buying and installing a certificate yourself.
- What is a CNAME record?What is a CNAME record? A DNS entry that points one name, like www.yourdomain.com, at another name. What it does, why builders ask for one, and the apex catch.
- What is a 301 redirect?What is a 301 redirect? A permanent redirect that sends visitors and search engines to a new address, and how it differs from 302, 307 and 308.
Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .