ANAME / Apex Alias
Point your root domain at a hostname.
An ANAME (apex alias) lets example.com resolve to a changing third-party hostname — a CDN, load balancer, or website builder — without giving up mail and other records at the root.
Why a CNAME at the root breaks
DNS does not allow a CNAME at the zone apex to coexist with other records. Because your root needs an SOA, NS, and usually MX, a plain CNAME there is invalid — which is why you cannot simply CNAME example.com to a provider hostname.
An ANAME solves this: ZoneEdit resolves the target hostname and answers the apex with its current address, while your MX and other apex records keep working.
A vs CNAME vs ANAME
| A record | CNAME | ANAME / apex alias | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works at the root (apex) | Yes | No | Yes |
| Follows a changing target | No (fixed IP) | Yes | Yes |
| Coexists with MX at apex | Yes | No | Yes |
| Typical use | Static IP | Subdomains | Root pointed at a hostname |
Common use cases
CDN at the apex
Serve your root domain through a CDN hostname that changes IPs over time.
Website builders & platforms
Point a naked domain at a platform endpoint that only gives you a hostname.
Load balancers
Alias the root to a balancer DNS name without hardcoding addresses.
Changing third-party targets
Keep the apex correct when the upstream provider rotates infrastructure.
Set it up
1. Add an ANAME at the apex
Create the apex-alias record and enter the target hostname your provider gave you.
2. Keep your MX and TXT records
Mail and verification records at the root continue to work alongside the ANAME.
3. Verify resolution
Confirm the apex answers with the target’s current address.
Frequently asked
Is this the same as ALIAS or CNAME flattening?
The concept is the same — a root-domain alias, sometimes called ALIAS, apex alias, or CNAME flattening. ZoneEdit implements it as an ANAME.
What about www?
You can point www with a normal CNAME and the root with an ANAME, or redirect one to the other with forwarding.