SRV Record Lookup
Find service location records for specific services
This page provides original, human-reviewed information about SRV record lookups, explaining service/protocol naming, priority and weight selection, and common SRV uses such as Microsoft Teams and XMPP.
SRV (Service) records specify the location of services within a domain. They define the hostname, port number, priority, and weight for services, enabling automatic service discovery and load balancing.
SRV Record Components:
- Service:The service name (e.g., _sip, _http, _xmpp)
- Protocol:The protocol used (_tcp or _udp)
- Priority:Lower values indicate higher priority
- Weight:Load balancing weight for same priority
- Port:The port number where the service runs
- Target:The hostname providing the service
Common Use Cases:
- VoIP Services:SIP server discovery
- Instant Messaging:XMPP server locations
- Email Services:IMAP, POP3, SMTP server discovery
- Game Servers:Minecraft server discovery
- Web Services:API endpoint discovery
SRV Record Format:
Basic SRV Record Examples:
SIP Service
SIP server on port 5060 with priority 10, weight 5
XMPP Service
XMPP server-to-server on port 5269
Load Balanced Services
Load balanced web servers with backup
Priority and Weight Guidelines:
- Priority:Use 10, 20, 30... for different priority levels
- Weight:Higher weight = more traffic (0 = no load balancing)
- Backup Services:Use higher priority numbers
- Load Balancing:Same priority, different weights
Service Not Discoverable
Clients cannot find the service automatically
Solution: Ensure SRV record name matches service expectations
Wrong Port Number
SRV record points to incorrect port
Solution: Verify port matches actual service configuration
Load Balancing Issues
Traffic not distributed as expected
Solution: Check priority and weight values, ensure targets are reachable
Missing FQDN
Target hostname not fully qualified
Solution: Always end target hostnames with a dot (.)
How do clients use SRV records?
Clients query for SRV records to automatically discover service locations, then connect to thereturned hostname and port.
What's the difference between priority and weight?
Priority determines order (lower = higher priority). Weight distributes load among same-priorityservers (higher = more traffic).
Can I use SRV records for any service?
SRV records work for any service, but the client application must support SRV record lookup for automatic discovery.
Do I need A records for SRV targets?
Yes, the target hostname in SRV records must have corresponding A or AAAA records for IP address resolution.
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