SRV records for your .at domain: enter each field correctly

atdomain.at Editorial · 6 min · Updated 31 October 2026

The essentials

Create an SRV record from the complete instructions for the service you want to connect. First establish where your active nameservers manage DNS. Copy the supplied values into their separate fields, then test the application that should use them. Registering another domain or replacing the entire nameserver set is usually not the first step for this task.

Laptop linked through a directory card to a server with a separate connection — An application designed to use SRV can discover its service through DNS. The service itself still needs to be configured.

When does a service require an SRV record?

You are setting up an additional service for your project and receive several DNS values instead of one destination address. Start by identifying the application that will use this connection and the account the instructions concern. The official SRV standard describes a service using a destination host and port. This is different from a general website redirect. Applications need to support this discovery method. If your task is simply to connect a normal website, follow the specific instructions supplied by that website service. Adding an SRV record speculatively does not make an existing A or CNAME record unnecessary.

Distinguish an A or CNAME website connection

Obtain a complete and current set of instructions

Ask the service for the settings that apply to your exact domain and subscription. Record the type, complete query name, target hostname, port, priority, weight and any TTL requirement. Establish whether several rows belong together and whether an existing record must be replaced. A screenshot with the end of the target name cut off is not enough. Copy values as text where possible, then compare them against the original. IANA maintains the official service name and port registry; it does not replace an individual setup instruction. Avoid borrowing another customer’s settings or adopting a random example configuration.

Review DNS management and supported record types

Match each value to its separate field

A DNS editor separates the components of the record. Do not paste a complete technical line into the target field. For the host name, establish whether the editor adds the domain automatically: the name must not accidentally acquire the same suffix twice. Keep underscores exactly where the instructions require them. The target is a hostname rather than a web address containing “https://”, a path or a slash. RFC 2782 distinguishes the following components. Compare every field before saving. When a value is missing, request clarification instead of experimenting with the existing row.

Match each value to its separate field
Field	Meaning	Your check
Host / Name	Service and transport protocol	Check underscores and domain suffix
Target / Record	Destination hostname	Hostname without a URL path
Port	Connection point at the target	Use the supplied value
Priority	Order of targets	Lower number first
Weight	Selection within equal priority	Keep distinct from priority
TTL	Cache lifetime	Compare instructions with available choices

Understand different DNS record types and their jobs

Instruction sheet and six cards with symbols for the fields of a service connection — Take the host, target, port, priority and weight from one current instruction and match each field individually.

Do not improvise the priority, weight or target

Several supplied SRV rows may form one coordinated configuration. Avoid swapping numbers between different instruction sets or removing a row simply because another destination already appears. The order of destinations is different from selection between equally ranked destinations. Do not infer these settings from your mail server priorities either. Under the SRV standard, the target needs its own address records and cannot be a CNAME alias. If the service gives you only an alias, ask it to confirm the appropriate SRV destination. The actual service, its access rules and the DNS row all need to fit together.

Edit the active zone and preserve existing records

Before changing anything, establish which nameservers are currently assigned to the domain. With our default nameservers, supported DNS records are managed in your account. With custom nameservers, edit the zone at the responsible DNS service. A change can be saved in an inactive zone without affecting the connection you are trying to establish. Save the existing configuration and change only the confirmed SRV rows. Keep website, MX and verification records intact. Connecting one additional service is not a reason to replace all nameservers or delete email settings. Arrange one clearly defined change so its outcome is understandable.

Check which nameservers are actually active Save your DNS configuration before editing

Test the DNS answer and application separately

Record when you made the change and query the complete supplied name specifically as type SRV. Compare the answer with your instructions: does it contain the correct target, port and complete set of related rows? Cached DNS answers can still contain earlier values. Check again after the relevant cache lifetime rather than continually saving alternative configurations. Then open the application and test the intended operation with an appropriate test contact or destination supplied by your service. A working home page does not establish that this service connection works. Conversely, an application error does not by itself mean that your domain registration failed.

Understand TTL and cached DNS answers

Two people compare service connections on a phone and laptop beside a server and clock — A saved DNS row is not a functional test. Afterwards, check the real connection in the application that should use it.

Prepare a support request that can be investigated

Collect the domain name, affected service, full DNS instruction, saved field values and exact error message with its timestamp. Explain whether the problem appears during the DNS check or only during sign-in or the actual connection. Keep passwords, private keys and personal confirmation links out of the request. Identify who manages the active nameservers and when the last change occurred. This helps distinguish field mapping from an older cached answer or a problem in the service itself. While the issue is being investigated, avoid changing several independent settings at once. A clear description is more useful than a succession of unexplained resets.

Find contact and support options in the help centre

Plan the domain and budget for services separately

If you first need your own address, check the complete preferred name and .at ending before ordering. A new standard .at domain currently costs €12.99 total for the first year with us; renewal is currently €15.99 total per additional year. New .at domains can alternatively have three years of prepaid coverage for €39.00 total: registration and two annual renewals without further payment. This saves €5.97 against €44.97 in annual payments at today’s prices. Transfers and existing renewals are excluded from this package. DNS management with the default nameservers is included; hosting, mailboxes and the additional service are separate. Your account’s paid-through date differs from the annually updated technical expiry. Arrange renewal in good time after the included term at the price then offered; there is no automatic card charge.

Find and register a suitable .at domain Check current total prices and prepaid coverage

Further sourcesRFC Editor: SRV record format and meaning ↗IANA: official service name and port registry ↗RFC Editor: DNS queries and caching ↗