Add an SRV record
SRV records tell clients which host and port run a service. How to add one in cPanel, with the field order that trips people up.
Add an SRV record to your domain's DNS. Applies to shared and reseller hosting.
An SRV record advertises which host and port run a particular service, so
clients can find it without being told. Common uses are VoIP and SIP, XMPP chat,
Minecraft servers, and Microsoft 365 autodiscover.
The parts of an SRV record
| Field | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Service | The service, with a leading underscore | _sip |
| Protocol | _tcp or _udp | _tcp |
| Name | The domain it applies to | example.com |
| Priority | Lower is preferred | 10 |
| Weight | Relative share among equal priorities | 5 |
| Port | The port the service listens on | 5060 |
| Target | The hostname providing it | sip.example.com |
Add one
- In cPanel, open Zone Editor under Domains.
- Select Manage beside your domain.
- Select Add Record, then choose SRV.
- Fill in the fields with the values your service provider gave you.
- Save.
Enter the values exactly as your provider specifies, including the leading
underscores on service and protocol. _sip and sip are different records,
and a missing underscore means the record silently never matches.
Some interfaces combine service and protocol into the name field as
_sip._tcp.example.com. If cPanel gives you separate boxes, split the value
your provider supplied.
Target must be a hostname
The target is a hostname, never an IP address. If your provider gave you an
IP, create an A record pointing a hostname at it first, then use that hostname
as the target.
Check it worked
dig +short SRV _sip._tcp.example.comIt returns priority, weight, port and target. An empty response means the record is not resolving — check the underscores and allow for propagation.