A CNAME record, or Canonical Name record, is a type of DNS (Domain Name System) record that maps one domain name to another. This allows multiple domain names to point to the same IP address without needing to update each one individually. For example, if you have a website at example.com, you can create a CNAME record for www.example.com that directs users to the same site. CNAME records are useful for managing subdomains and ensuring that users reach the correct website, even if they type in different variations of the domain name. They help simplify domain management and improve user experience by providing consistent access to web resources.