What Is DNS? A No-Jargon Guide for Website Owners

If you’ve ever registered a domain name, connected it to a website, or had a go at setting up email — you might have come across something called DNS and thought, “Ugh, techy stuff.”

But stick with us — because understanding the basics of DNS will save you time, money, and a few panicked Googles. If you have a website, DNS is part of your world.

At Colloco Marketing, we don’t expect our clients to become tech experts — and we’re not a tech company — but we do believe that a little clarity goes a long way.

So here’s DNS explained in plain English.

So, What Is DNS?

DNS stands for Domain Name System. It’s like the internet’s address book.

Every website lives on a server somewhere in the world, and each server has a special ID number called an IP address — a long string of numbers like 203.0.113.15. That’s how computers talk to each other.

But let’s be honest: no one wants to remember a load of numbers.

So DNS translates human-friendly website names (like coolcoffeeco.co.uk) into the real IP addresses behind the scenes.

Think of DNS Like Your Phone Contacts

Back in the day, you had to memorise phone numbers or write them down. Now? You just tap “Mum” or “Alex” in your phone and it does the rest.

DNS works the same way. You type in a domain name like coolexample.com, and DNS figures out where to go. Your computer says, “Great, I’ll look that up!” and finds the actual address to fetch the website content.

But Did You Know Your Computer Has an IP Address Too?

That’s right. Every device connected to the internet — your phone, your laptop, your smart fridge — needs its own IP address.

Why? Because the internet is like a giant postal system. Without an address, your device wouldn’t know where to receive the data it’s asking for.

Your router gives private IP addresses to each device in your home or office. But when you go online, your whole network uses a public IP address so the wider internet knows where to send things.

That’s how Netflix knows where to send your show. Or how emails land in your inbox. It’s all IP addresses talking to each other behind the scenes — and DNS is the translator that makes it all possible.

How DNS Works (In Simple Steps)

Here’s what happens when someone visits your website:

1. They type in your domain name (e.g. yourbusiness.co.uk)

2. Their device sends a DNS query — asking, “Where is this website?”

3. The DNS system checks different servers until it finds the IP address for your website

4. That info is sent back to their browser, which loads your website

   
   

All of that happens in under a second. Magic? Almost. But it’s actually infrastructure — and it’s essential.

And Yes, It Affects Your Emails Too

If you use a professional email address (like hello@yourdomain.com), DNS is what ensures messages land in the right inbox.

Just like websites, email systems rely on DNS records — called MX records — to know where to deliver messages.

If these settings aren’t right, emails might bounce, get lost, or not send at all. It's one of the most common hidden issues we fix for clients who’ve been wondering why their inbox has gone quiet.

Why Does This Matter for You?

Because if you:

• Just launched a website

• Changed website platforms (e.g. from WordPress to Wix)

• Switched to a new email provider

• Bought a new domain...

...then DNS settings are what make everything connect properly.

Get DNS right, and your website and emails just work.

Get it wrong, and things stop showing up, inboxes go silent, and customers hit dead ends.

What You Can Do With DNS

• Point your domain to your website using an A record

• Connect email (like hello@yourdomain.com) using MX records

• Forward your domain to another platform like Instagram or YouTube

• Create subdomains like shop.yourdomain.com or blog.yourdomain.com

• Switch nameservers if you're managing DNS somewhere else (like Wix, Squarespace or 123 Reg)

Most changes take effect within the hour — but global updates can take up to 48 hours.

Why We’re Sharing This at Colloco

At Colloco, we help businesses build websites. That means beautiful design on the outside — and clean, functional setup on the inside.

DNS is one of the invisible layers that keeps your online presence running smoothly.

No matter how gorgeous your website is, it won’t do its job if your domain isn’t pointing in the right direction.

We handle all of this behind the scenes as part of our website packages — but we also believe in empowering our clients to feel confident and in control.

You don’t need to know everything — you just need to know enough to make smart decisions (and spot the red flags if something’s not working).

In Summary: DNS, Demystified

DNS is the silent connector that makes your website and email work.

It takes your easy-to-remember domain name and points it to the right place — whether that’s your live website, your inbox, or another platform.

Without it, nothing shows up.

You don’t need to memorise the tech — just know this:

If your DNS settings are wrong, your website won’t load, and your emails won’t arrive.