IPv6 and AAAA records: do you need one, and when adding one breaks your site

The short answer: an AAAA record points your name to an IPv6 address, just as the A record points to an IPv4 one. It is not required: the site works with the A record alone. And you should only add an AAAA if the server really answers over IPv6. An AAAA that points to an address that does not answer leaves visitors arriving over IPv6 without a site.

When we measured one of our shared hosting servers, it had no public IPv6 address assigned. For a site hosted there, there is therefore no AAAA to add, unless the IP page of your account shows an IPv6 address. Where to find that page is in Your hosting IP address.

How to tell whether you need one

Your situation What to do
A site on shared hosting, without Cloudflare Normally the A record only. If your account’s IP page shows only IPv4, there is no AAAA to add.
A site behind Cloudflare, with the proxy on Anyone who looks up your name sees Cloudflare addresses, IPv6 included, and Cloudflare connects to your server at the address you gave it. Do not delete those records. See Putting a domain on Cloudflare.
A VPS or dedicated server It depends on the plan and the network. Measure on the server itself with ip -6 addr show scope global: if it lists nothing, you have no public IPv6. Your server addresses are in Where to find your VPS or dedicated server IP address.

How to add an AAAA, when the server has one

1 Confirm the IPv6 address and that the web server listens on it. On a VPS use the command above; on a hosting account, the IP page.
2 In cPanel, open the Zone Editor, choose Add record, the type AAAA, the name (the domain or a subdomain) and the IPv6 address. What each record type does is in DNS records explained.
3 Wait for propagation. See how long DNS changes take.
4 Test both paths: curl -4 -I https://your-site and curl -6 -I https://your-site. Both must answer. If your computer has no IPv6, the -6 test fails for that reason and says nothing about the site: use an IPv6 test tool on the web.
The most common mistake is forgetting an old AAAA. You move to another server, update the A record, and the AAAA keeps pointing to the previous server. The site opens for some visitors and not for others, often on mobile networks. When you change the A, change or delete the AAAA at the same time.
No IPv6? You lose nothing: the site keeps opening for everyone over IPv4. An AAAA is only worth adding if a service of yours requires it or if the server already has one.

Not sure whether your account has an IPv6 address? Open a ticket with the domain and tell us what the IP page shows.

Open a support ticket

SEE ALSO

DNS records explained: A, CNAME, MX, TXT and TTL

What your hosting IP address is and where to find it

Putting a domain on Cloudflare

How long DNS changes take to propagate

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