Domain Name System (DNS) DNS is like the phonebook of the internet. Instead of remembering long strings of numbers (IP addresses), you just type in a web address like example.com, and DNS translates it into the IP address of the server hosting that site. This process happens in the background, almost instantly, every time you visit a website. For web developers, understanding DNS is important because it affects how quickly users can reach your site and how you set up things like custom domains or email.
