YourWebTech documentation

Common DNS Setups

Step-by-step DNS recipes for connecting your domain to Vercel, GitHub Pages, Google Workspace, and configuring email authentication.

Common DNS Setups

This page provides ready-to-use DNS configurations for popular services. Before following any of these recipes, make sure your domain is using YWT nameservers and you know how to manage DNS records.

After adding or changing DNS records, allow time for propagation. Most changes take effect within minutes, but it can take up to 48 hours in rare cases. See Propagation for details.

Provider DNS targets can change or be customized per account. Use the values shown in your provider dashboard as the source of truth; the records below are common examples.

Web hosting

Connect your .ch or .li domain to a Vercel deployment.

Root domain (example.ch)

TypeNameValue
A@76.76.21.21

Subdomain (www.example.ch)

TypeNameValue
CNAMEwwwvalue shown by Vercel, such as cname.vercel-dns-0.com

Steps

In your Vercel project, go to Settings > Domains and add your domain.

In the YWT DNS manager, add the A record for the root domain and/or the CNAME record for the www subdomain using the values Vercel shows.

Return to Vercel and wait for the domain to verify. Vercel will also provision an SSL certificate automatically.

Host a static site on GitHub Pages with your custom domain.

Root domain (example.ch)

Add all four GitHub Pages A records:

TypeNameValue
A@185.199.108.153
A@185.199.109.153
A@185.199.110.153
A@185.199.111.153

Subdomain (www.example.ch)

TypeNameValue
CNAMEwwwyourusername.github.io

Replace yourusername.github.io with the default GitHub Pages domain for your user or organization.

Steps

In your GitHub repository, go to Settings > Pages and enter your custom domain under Custom domain.

In the YWT DNS manager, add the A records for the root domain and/or the CNAME for the subdomain.

Wait for GitHub to verify and provision an SSL certificate. Check the Enforce HTTPS box once available.

Connect your domain to a Netlify site.

Root domain (example.ch)

TypeNameValue
A@75.2.60.5

Subdomain (www.example.ch)

TypeNameValue
CNAMEwwwyour-site-name.netlify.app

Steps

In Netlify, go to Domain management > Add custom domain and enter your domain.

Add the DNS records shown in Netlify in the YWT DNS manager. The values above are the common standard-network setup.

Return to Netlify and wait for DNS verification. Netlify will provision an SSL certificate automatically.

Email

Route email through Google Workspace for your domain.

Use the MX values Google Workspace shows during domain setup if they differ from this table.

MX records

Add all five MX records:

TypeNamePriorityValue
MX@1aspmx.l.google.com
MX@5alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
MX@5alt2.aspmx.l.google.com
MX@10alt3.aspmx.l.google.com
MX@10alt4.aspmx.l.google.com

Remove any existing MX records before adding the Google ones to avoid conflicts.

Route email through Microsoft 365.

Use the exact MX and CNAME values shown in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

MX record

TypeNamePriorityValue
MX@0your-domain-ch.mail.protection.outlook.com

Replace your-domain-ch with the value provided in your Microsoft 365 admin center (typically your domain with dots replaced by dashes).

Autodiscover

TypeNameValue
CNAMEautodiscoverautodiscover.outlook.com

Email authentication

Proper email authentication helps prevent your messages from being marked as spam and protects your domain from being spoofed.

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) tells receiving mail servers which servers are allowed to send email on behalf of your domain.

Google Workspace SPF

TypeNameValue
TXT@v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all

Microsoft 365 SPF

TypeNameValue
TXT@v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com ~all

General SPF (multiple senders)

If you send email from multiple services, combine them into a single TXT record:

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:spf.protection.outlook.com ~all

You should only have one SPF TXT record on your root domain. If you need to authorize multiple senders, combine all include: directives into a single record.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a cryptographic signature to outgoing emails so receivers can verify the message was not tampered with.

Your email provider generates the DKIM key for you. The record typically looks like this:

TypeNameValue
TXTgoogle._domainkeyv=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIIBIjANBgkqhki... (your full key)

Steps

In your email provider admin panel, locate the DKIM settings and generate a key pair.

Copy the provided TXT record name and value.

In the YWT DNS manager, add the TXT record with the exact name and value from your provider.

Return to your email provider and verify the DKIM record.

The record name varies by provider. Google uses google._domainkey, while Microsoft uses selector1._domainkey and selector2._domainkey. Always use exactly what your provider specifies.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) tells receivers what to do when SPF or DKIM checks fail.

Basic DMARC record

TypeNameValue
TXT_dmarcv=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.ch

Policy options:

  • p=none — Monitor only, take no action (good for starting out).
  • p=quarantine — Send failing messages to spam.
  • p=reject — Reject failing messages outright (strictest).

Replace dmarc@example.ch with the email address where you want to receive DMARC reports.

Checking your configuration

After adding records, use these methods to verify everything is working:

  1. DNS checker tools — Services like dig (command line), dnschecker.org, or MXToolbox let you query your domain and see if the records are live.
  2. Provider verification — Most services (Vercel, Google Workspace, GitHub) have a built-in verification step that confirms your DNS is configured correctly.
  3. Email testing — For email authentication, send a test email to a service like mail-tester.com to verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are passing.

For a deeper understanding of how DNS changes propagate, see Propagation.

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