Product
Introducing DNSMigrator: DNS moves you can check before you make them
A DNS migration tool that previews every record, verifies answers at the new nameservers before cutover and keeps a rollback that only touches its own writes.
7 min read
DNS field notes
DNS migration, explained.
Technical notes on provider differences, DNSSEC, email records, and the parts of a cutover that need time.
16 field notes6 interactive guides
Featured interactive guide
Start with a guide you can use as you read.
InteractiveMigrations
The DNS migration checklist: every step to move DNS without downtime
An interactive DNS migration checklist: export, compare, lower TTLs, handle DNSSEC and email, switch nameservers, verify and decommission. Tick steps as you go.
9 min read
Read guideStart here
Plan the move, understand the wait, then inspect the file you will carry between providers.
More field notes
15 more to explore
- InteractiveMigrations
How long does DNS propagation take? Work it out from your TTLs
DNS propagation time is set by TTLs, not luck. Enter your record and nameserver TTLs to see when every resolver has the new answer, and how to speed it up.
7 min read
- MigrationsRegistrars
Do DNS records transfer when you transfer a domain?
Do DNS records transfer with a domain? Learn when registration changes leave DNS untouched, when registrar-hosted records are at risk, and how to keep them.
9 min read
- MigrationsProviders
How to export a DNS zone file from Cloudflare, Route 53, GoDaddy, Azure and more
Export a DNS zone file from Cloudflare, Route 53, GoDaddy, Azure DNS, Google Cloud DNS, Namecheap and more, with provider steps and export limits.
9 min read
- InteractiveZone files
The BIND zone file format, explained with examples
BIND zone file examples explained line by line: $ORIGIN, $TTL, SOA, NS, A, MX, TXT and CNAME. Paste your own file into the browser-based explainer.
8 min read
- InteractiveTools
dig commands for checking a DNS migration, with examples
The dig commands that matter during a DNS move: query a nameserver directly, check NS and DS at the parent, trace delegation and validate DNSSEC. Build your own.
7 min read
- Migrations
Four ways a DNS migration breaks, and how to see each one coming
Missing records, provider-only features, stale DNSSEC and shutting the old provider down early cause almost every DNS migration outage. How to catch each one.
6 min read
- ProvidersMigrations
Leaving Cloudflare: proxied records, flattened apex CNAMEs and the registrar lock
Leaving Cloudflare changes more than DNS: inventory proxied records, apex CNAME flattening, registrar limits, DNSSEC and every feature that must move.
6 min read
- ProvidersComparison
Route 53 vs Cloudflare DNS: what actually changes when you move between them
Route 53 vs Cloudflare DNS compared on the things that break migrations: aliases, apex records, proxying, routing policies, TTLs, DNSSEC and API access.
10 min read
- Providers
Hetzner DNS Console is gone: moving your zones and tokens to the Hetzner Console
Hetzner DNS Console migration dates, API and token changes, integration breakpoints, and the steps to verify zones now hosted in the Hetzner Console.
8 min read
- InteractiveDNSSEC
Moving a signed zone without a SERVFAIL
The order of operations for a DNSSEC migration to a new DNS provider, the DS and DNSKEY waiting periods you can't skip, and a timeline built from your TTLs.
6 min read
- Migrations
Why your old DNS provider has to keep answering for two days
Why the old DNS provider must keep answering after a nameserver change, how the parent NS TTL controls overlap, and when it is safe to cancel the old DNS account.
6 min read
- InteractiveEmail
SPF “too many DNS lookups”: the 10-lookup limit and how to fix it
Why SPF fails with PermError: too many DNS lookups, how the 10-lookup limit is counted, and how to fix it. Paste your SPF record to count its lookups.
7 min read
- DNSControlComparison
DNSControl alternatives: Terraform, octoDNS and a web UI compared
DNSControl alternatives compared: Terraform, octoDNS and DNSMigrator, including zone models, previews, provider features, state and team workflows.
9 min read
- DNSControlEngineering
DNSControl's dnsconfig.js, in a browser
Run dnsconfig.js in the browser without the DNSControl CLI. See what DNSMigrator imports, how the Web Worker is sandboxed, and where preview differs.
6 min read