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Guide · 3 min read

Set reverse DNS (PTR) for your IP

Point your IP address back to your hostname – important for mail servers and a professional setup.

Reverse DNS (a PTR record) maps your IP address back to a hostname, for example 203.0.113.10 → mail.example.com. Mail servers check it, and it makes your server look professional in logs and traceroutes.

1. Create the forward record first

At your domain's DNS provider, create an A record (and an AAAA record for IPv6) that points your hostname to your server's IP:

mail.example.com.   A      203.0.113.10
mail.example.com.   AAAA   2001:db8::10

2. Set the PTR record in the control panel

  1. Log in to the control panel and open your server.
  2. Go to the network / IP addresses section.
  3. Enter your hostname (for example mail.example.com) as reverse DNS for the IP and save.

You can do this yourself at any time – no ticket needed.

3. Check it

dig -x 203.0.113.10 +short
nslookup 203.0.113.10

Changes can take a little while to appear because of DNS caching. For mail delivery, also see our guide on sending email from your VPS.

Last updated 2026-10-25. Need help? Open a ticket – our team answers 24/7.