No, a CNAME does not redirect. A CNAME record is an alias resolved at the DNS layer: it tells a resolver that one hostname is really another name, and the resolver then looks up that target and returns its address. The visitor's browser never changes the address in the bar and never sees a redirect happen. That is the single most common misconception about CNAMEs, and it matters because the thing people usually want, sending visitors from one URL to another, is a job for an HTTP redirect or registrar URL forwarding, not a CNAME. This guide draws the line between the three.
What a CNAME actually does
A CNAME, short for canonical name, maps one hostname to another hostname. When a resolver looks up shop.example.com and finds a CNAME pointing to store.provider.net, it does not stop there. It follows the alias and resolves store.provider.net to its A or AAAA address, then hands that address back. The whole thing happens below the application layer, before any HTTP request is made. The browser connects to the resolved address and requests the original hostname in the Host header. Nothing about the URL the user typed changes. For a refresher on how CNAME sits among the other record types, see DNS record types explained.
What an HTTP redirect does instead
An HTTP redirect is an answer from a web server, not a DNS record. When a browser requests a page, the server can reply with a 301 (permanent) or 302 (temporary) status and a Location header naming a new URL. The browser then makes a fresh request to that new URL, and the address in the bar changes to match. This is the right tool when you genuinely want one address to become another: moving a page, consolidating www and non-www, or forcing HTTPS. A redirect can change the path, the hostname, and the scheme, none of which a CNAME can touch because a CNAME only ever maps names to names.
Where registrar URL forwarding fits
Registrar URL forwarding, sometimes called domain forwarding or web forwarding, is a convenience feature many registrars offer that produces an HTTP redirect without you running a server. You point the domain at the registrar's small forwarding service, and it answers requests with a 301 or 302 to the destination you configured. It looks like a DNS setting in the control panel, but the mechanism underneath is an HTTP redirect, which is why the address bar changes. It is handy for parking a spare domain on top of a main site, but it depends on the registrar's infrastructure and usually cannot forward anything other than plain web traffic.
CNAME vs redirect vs URL forwarding
| Behavior | CNAME record | HTTP 301/302 redirect | Registrar URL forwarding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layer | DNS resolution | HTTP response | HTTP response via registrar |
| Changes the address bar | No | Yes | Yes |
| Can change the path | No | Yes | Limited |
| Can change the scheme | No | Yes | Sometimes |
| Needs a web server | No | Yes | No, uses registrar |
| Right for aliasing a host to a provider | Yes | No | No |
CNAME cloaking and what it is not
Because a CNAME is invisible to the visitor, it is sometimes used for what is called CNAME cloaking: pointing a subdomain of your own site at a third party so that, to the browser, the content appears to come from your domain. This is how many analytics and marketing vendors ask you to set up a tracking subdomain. It is not a redirect either; the visitor still sees your hostname because resolution happened quietly in DNS. Privacy tools that offer CNAME uncloaking are built to unwind that alias and reveal the real third-party target. Understanding cloaking reinforces the core point: a CNAME hides a mapping, it never sends the browser somewhere new. For aliasing at the top of a zone, which has its own rules, see CNAME at the apex, and for redirecting an entire subtree of names see DNAME vs CNAME.
Which tool for which job: a checklist
- Want a hostname to resolve to a provider's server while keeping your name? Use a CNAME.
- Want the URL in the address bar to actually change to a new location? Use an HTTP 301 or 302 redirect.
- Want to forward a spare domain to your main site without running a server? Use registrar URL forwarding, which is a redirect under the hood.
- Want to force HTTPS or merge www and non-www? That is a redirect, never a CNAME.
- Pointing a subdomain at a SaaS or CDN? A CNAME is correct, and the visitor will keep seeing your hostname.
To watch a CNAME resolve and see the full alias chain it points through, run the hostname through the DNS lookup tool, which follows the alias to the final address so you can confirm what a CNAME is really doing.
Frequently asked questions
Does a CNAME record redirect visitors?
No. A CNAME is a DNS alias resolved before any web request. It maps one hostname to another so the resolver returns the target's address, but the browser never changes the URL and no redirect occurs.
What is the difference between a CNAME and a 301 redirect?
A CNAME works at the DNS layer and keeps the original hostname intact. A 301 redirect is an HTTP response from a web server that tells the browser to request a new URL, changing the address bar. Use a redirect when the destination address should actually change.
How do I redirect one domain to another?
Use an HTTP 301 or 302 redirect from a web server, or registrar URL forwarding if you do not run a server. A CNAME cannot do this because it only maps names at the DNS layer and never changes the URL.
What is CNAME cloaking?
CNAME cloaking points a subdomain of your site at a third party so the content appears to come from your domain. It is common for analytics subdomains. It is still an alias, not a redirect, so the visitor keeps seeing your hostname.
Can I put a CNAME on my root domain?
Standard DNS does not allow a plain CNAME at the apex because it would collide with the required SOA and NS records. Providers offer ALIAS, ANAME, or CNAME flattening to achieve the same effect at the root instead.
The rule is simple: a CNAME aliases a name, a redirect changes a URL. Confirm what your CNAME resolves to with the DNS lookup tool before assuming it will send anyone anywhere.