Growing ANAME / ALIAS support

Standard DNS doesn't allow CNAME records at the apex domain. Fortunately, more DNS providers are offering ANAME/ALIAS records as a solution.

The problem with apex domains

You want to route your apex domain (also called bare or naked domain) like example.com directly to your app hosted at myapp.frb.io. With standard DNS you cannot use CNAME records at apex domain level.

  • CNAME records would solve the routing but break email delivery
  • A records require IP addresses, which don't work with dynamic hosting services
  • Email MX records cannot coexist with CNAME records at the apex

Read our help article on bare domains for more technical details and to understand whether you actually need apex domain routing.

The (non-standard) solution

Different providers use different names for essentially the same functionality:

  • ANAME (Address Name)
  • ALIAS
  • CNAME flattening

But they all work the same:

  1. Acting like CNAME records - They resolve to the target hostname
  2. Working at the apex - Unlike CNAME, they can be used for bare domains
  3. Preserving email - They don't interfere with MX records

Supported providers

The following DNS providers support apex domain routing through ANAME/ALIAS records:

Major cloud providers

Specialized DNS providers

Domain registrars with DNS

Setting up ANAME/ALIAS records

The exact process varies by provider, but generally involves:

  1. Log into your DNS management panel
  2. Create a new record at the apex domain (@ or blank)
  3. Select ANAME/ALIAS as the record type
  4. Enter your target hostname (e.g., myapp.frb.io)
  5. Save the record and wait for DNS propagation

Providers without support

Some major providers still don't support ANAME/ALIAS records:

  • GoDaddy - No ANAME support (Stack Overflow discussion)
  • 1&1 IONOS - Limited DNS record support
  • Network Solutions - Traditional DNS only

What to do if your provider doesn't support it

If your current DNS provider doesn't support ANAME/ALIAS records, you have several options:

  1. Switch DNS providers - Move to one of the supported providers above
  2. Add a third-party DNS - Keep your domain registered where it is, but use a different provider for DNS
  3. Use www forwarding - Redirect example.com to www.example.com

Our conclusion

Since most browsers omit the www prefix and users barely notice it, we recommend using a simple forwarding service instead of ANAME/ALIAS/CNAME flattening. We don't think the aestehtic reasons hold up, as outlined with our help article. You don't lock yourself in. There are no SEO implications, even if you move from bare to www domain.

Fo our upcoming platform at new.fortrabbit.com we explore CDN integration, that may change DNS routing.

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