A pointer (PTR) record is a type of Domain Name System (DNS) record that resolves an IP address to a domain or hostname, unlike an A record which points a domain name to an IP address.

Meaning, that A record helps your computer to understand, that when accessing google.com, you should be redirected to 8.8.8.8. PTR record, on the other side, helps to understand that 185.185.185.185 should redirect to domain.tld (where 185.185.185.185 is your hosting IP and domain.tld is your domain name).

Unlike A record, a PTR record should be created on your server’s part. At Hostinger, you can create a PTR record by opening the VPS dashboard, choosing the server:

Opening the Settings page:

And setting PTR records:

Once PTR records are added you can delete them and add new ones if it’s needed:

It’s worth noting that any DNS Record changes trigger propagation, which can last up to 24 hours to fully propagate.

For PTR record a dedicated IP address is required, so it can be set up on VPS only. A comprehensive guide about PTR records can be found in this article.

Also, you can set reverse DNS on your IP only when the mentioned domain is pointing to the mentioned IP.

So if you have VPS (185.185.185.185) and domain (domain.tld), the whole process for you would be the following:

If you create a PTR record before the domain is pointing to the VPS IP, you will receive an error:

Record domain.tld IN A 185.185.185.185 not exist. If you have added the DNS record recently, allow a few hours for DNS to propagate.

NOTES: