Use an SRV record when an application explicitly supports DNS-based service discovery. PD PowerDNS provides separate fields for priority, weight, port and target so the record can be reviewed before it is saved.

Obtain the application’s requirements

Identify the service label, protocol, domain, target hostname and port. Keep priority and weight distinct: priority selects a preferred group, while weight helps distribute selection within an equal-priority group. The client application must support that service’s SRV lookup.

Create and inspect

1. Open the intended PowerDNS zone and choose Add record → SRV.
2. Enter the requested service/protocol name beneath the domain.
3. Fill in Priority, Weight, Port, target hostname and TTL.
4. Save and inspect the complete assembled record name and values.
5. Compare all SRV values sharing that name and their shared TTL.

The target is a hostname, not a URL with a scheme or path. Make sure it has the address records required by the service and that the service is listening on the advertised port.

Verify discovery and connectivity

Check the authoritative SRV answer first. Then test the application’s own discovery and connection behaviour; a successful DNS write does not open a firewall or enable a service.

If the client ignores the record, confirm that it uses the expected service label and protocol. Keep the exact requested fields, expected target and redacted result for diagnosis instead of repeatedly adding differently shaped records. For an ordinary website address use the A, AAAA and CNAME guide instead.

Check disabled native record members before editing

PowerDNS can retain disabled members in a native record set. The module displays enabled members of recognised types and rebuilds an affected set from enabled members when writing it. Disabled members in that same set can therefore be removed by a module change. If your deployment uses disabled records, have your PowerDNS administrator preserve and review the native set through your authorised server process before editing it here. Module snapshots and BIND exports omit disabled members, so they do not preserve that native state.

See the PD PowerDNS Blesta guide for related tasks, or explore PD PowerDNS.