---
title: "SRV records explained"
description: "SRV records tell clients which host and port provide a service. Read the fields, understand priority and weight, and add one without guessing the name format."
canonical_url: "https://dnsense.io/learn/srv-records-explained"
---

> Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://dnsense.io/llms.txt)

An A record gives a name an address. It says nothing about ports. An SRV record fills that gap: it tells a client which host to contact for a named service, on which port, and in which order to try the options. SIP, XMPP, Minecraft servers, Microsoft 365 and mail autodiscovery use it.

## Anatomy of an SRV record

```text
_sip._tcp.example.com.  IN  SRV  10 60 5060 sip.example.com.
```

![The SRV record split into service, protocol, priority, weight, port and target](guide-records-srv.webp)

- **Name.** `_service._protocol`, both with a leading underscore. The service is `_sip`, `_xmpp-client`, `_autodiscover` and so on. The protocol is `_tcp`, `_udp` or `_tls`. DNSense checks this and answers "An SRV name is _service._protocol, e.g. _sip._tcp" when the form is wrong.
- **Priority.** Lower is tried first, like MX.
- **Weight.** Among records with the same priority, a share of the traffic. Weights 60 and 40 send about 60% and 40% of the clients to each.
- **Port.** The TCP or UDP port the service listens on.
- **Target.** The hostname that provides the service. It needs its own A or AAAA record and must not be a CNAME.

## Turning a service off

A target of a single dot, `.`, means the service is explicitly not available at this domain. Clients stop looking. DNSense accepts it.

## Where to find the right values

Your service provider tells you. Do not make them up: the service name has to match exactly what the client software asks for. A typo gives you a record that looks right and is never queried.

## Adding one in DNSense

Click **Create record** and choose **SRV**. The form gains **Priority**, **Weight** and **Port** fields next to the target hostname, and the **Autodiscover** and **SIP** quick fills fill in the usual names.

![The New record dialog with an SRV record for SIP](app-records-srv-form.webp)

In the table, priority, weight and port show together in the Extras column.

![The zone filtered on SRV records, two SIP servers with weights 60 and 40](app-records-srv-list.webp)

## Provider support

Not every provider stores SRV records. Namecheap does not accept them through its API, so DNSense will not offer SRV on Namecheap-hosted zones. Every other supported provider does. If the provider cannot hold SRV, the type is missing from the form's list.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](https://dnsense.io/sitemap.md) for all pages.