What does the PTR record mean? 

The PTR record, also known as a pointer record, has a very precise goal. It has to point the IP address to the domain name. In addition, this type of DNS record is able to work either with IPv4 addresses or with IPv6 addresses efficiently. Therefore, thanks to the pointer record, you are able to configure and perform Reverse DNS. 

This DNS record gives the ability to ensure and verify that the particular IP address is exactly belonging to the domain name. That is very important when it comes to sending an email. The receiving mail servers usually desire to verify the source of the email and perform a reverse DNS lookup. Therefore, they examine and seek exactly the PTR records. 

How to configure PTR record?

How does it look inside?

Each PTR record has inside a structure that is very simple and easy to understand. If you are interested and you want to create such a type of DNS record, you are going to see some fields. Let’s see which are they:

• TYPE: It signifies the type of DNS record. When you are creating a pointer record, you should select PTR.
• Host: In this field, you have to write the IP address of the host. It is possible to be either an IPV4 address or an IPv6 address. 
• Points to: This field is for the domain name. 
• TTL: In this field, you can choose the TTL (time-to-live) value of the pointer record. 

Why is it important?

PTR record or pointer record is an essential piece of the Reverse DNS (rDNS). Thanks to it, it is possible to produce trust and validation to the IP addresses (IPv4 or IPv6) of a domain name. Moreover, it is crucial to have it for properly working outgoing mail servers. In that specific case, it is necessary to create and add a pointer record because it brings the methods for confirmation.

In situations when the recipient searches for the pointer record and it is not able to find one, your message is going to be transferred into the spam folder. The same is going to occur if there is a mistake in the configuration of your PTR record. For instance, it is not associated correctly with an A or AAAA record. So be aware and take your time to make sure everything is set properly.

Besides, if you desire to send your emails without any difficulties and your recipients receive them and read them, you should create a pointer record in a Reverse DNS zone.

PTR record and A record

The PTR record and the A record are exactly opposite to each other. The A record links a domain name to its IPv4 address. On the other hand, the PTR record links IP addresses (IPv4 and IPv6) to the domain name. 

One crucial fact to remember is that there must be already created A or AAAA records for each PTR record. This is because you are not able to only add PTR records without the A/AAA records already created and added in the Forward Zone. Another important point to make is that the PTR record lives only in the Reverse DNS zone.