# Documentation on "Local DNS Records"

**URL:** <https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/documentation-on-local-dns-records/33777>\
**Category:** meta\
**Created:** [June 1, 2020, 5:03pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/documentation-on-local-dns-records/33777 "2020-06-01T17:03:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![jfb](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/jfb/32/4332_2.png) [@jfb](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/jfb)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 5:28pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/documentation-on-local-dns-records/33777/2 "2020-06-01T17:28:01Z")

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Local DNS records are similar to the _ **/etc/hosts** _ file, but stored in _ **/etc/pihole/custom.list** _. They store local mappings of IP to client names.

If you have hostnames define in your DHCP settings, you typically do not need additional mapping.

Additional discussion here - note comment number 16 or 17, which discusses the priority among the various hosts files.

> [@Custom DNS - Observations](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/custom-dns-observations/27533/17):
>
> Love this new feature/functionality adding all my devices under .lan - smooth! As for the name....I figured it out so "Custom" is OK, possibly "User DNS config", "Local DNS config" or "DNS Override" (assuming this functionality takes priority?) [pihole-custom]

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_[View the full topic](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/documentation-on-local-dns-records/33777)._