Authoritative DNS server definition
An authoritative DNS server is a server that holds the official details about a website's IP address. When you type in a site’s name or search for it on Google, this server gives your device the correct IP address so your browser can load the site. It's the go-to source for accurate domain information.
See also: dynamic DNS, DNS hosting
How an authoritative DNS server works
- 1.You type a website address (like www.example.com) into your browser.
- 2.Your device sends a request to a recursive DNS server to find the website’s IP address.
- 3.If the recursive DNS server doesn’t have the IP cached, it sends the request to an authoritative DNS server for the website.
- 4.The authoritative DNS server looks up its records and provides the correct IP address for the website.
- 5.The recursive DNS server then sends the IP address to your device.
- 6.Your device uses the IP address to access the website.
History of authoritative DNS servers
Authoritative DNS servers became important in the early 1980s when the domain name system (DNS) was created. Before that, the internet used static files to match website names with IP addresses, which became difficult to manage as more websites went live.
DNS servers were made to make this process faster and more efficient. Over time, authoritative DNS servers became responsible for storing and giving out the correct website information so users could visit the sites they wanted easily and reliably.
