
Yes, you need a PTR record to stop your WordPress emails from going to spam. It can be used any time an IP address needs to be ‘translated’ into a domain name. Reverse DNS isn’t just for stopping spam, though. That’s why it’s important that your PTR record is set up correctly. If it isn’t, the email will likely be discarded or filed in the Junk Mail folder. This helps to stop spammers from using your domain to send junk emails.ĭuring a reverse lookup, the email server looks at the PTR record to see if the sender’s IP is authorized to send email from the sending domain. Reverse lookups are important because they reveal the domain name (or names) associated with an IP address. In basic terms, this means that the PTR and A records match. You might also see mentions of FCrDNS, which means “forward confirmed reverse DNS”, or “full-circle reverse DNS”. And when a server looks up a PTR record, it’s called a “reverse” lookup. They’re created in a different zone called the “reverse DNS zone”. PTR records aren’t created in your domain’s DNS zone. It points from the IP to the domain name. Here, the A record is pointing to the IP address 1.1.1.1.Ī PTR record does the same thing as the A record, but it does it the other way around.


If you take a look at the DNS zone for your domain, the A record points from the domain to the IP like the first line in this example:

To understand the PTR record, we can look at the way the A record works in your domain’s DNS.Īlmost everyone who owns a domain will have seen an A record, so this will help us understand PTR records as well. In fact, PTR stands for ‘pointer’ because the record simply points from one to the other. Do I Need to Create Any Other DNS Records?įix Your WordPress Emails Now What Is a PTR DNS Record?Ī DNS PTR record is a type of DNS record that links an IP address and a domain.How Do I Create a PTR Record If Mine is Missing?.
