ClouDNS NextDNS rewrites

Migrate DNS from ClouDNS to NextDNS.

3 record types move as they are. 4 things work differently at NextDNS, and the preview shows exactly which of your records they affect.

Free preview. Read-only. Nothing changes until you apply.

What works differently

Generated from the same provider capability data the migration engine uses.

Moves as-is

A
AAAA
CNAME

Alias records are converted

ClouDNS alias records become CNAMEs at NextDNS. At the apex, NextDNS flattens them automatically.

Routing policies are flattened

NextDNS has no routing policies. Weighted, geo and latency sets collapse into one set of answers, and failover keeps only the primary. Each one is flagged for review.

MX, TXT, NS, SRV, CAA, PTR, DNAME, TLSA, SSHFP, DS, NAPTR, CLOUDNS_WR aren't available

NextDNS can't store MX, TXT, NS, SRV, CAA, PTR, DNAME, TLSA, SSHFP, DS, NAPTR, CLOUDNS_WR records through its API. They're marked Unsupported with the reason, never dropped silently.

TTLs below 300s are raised

NextDNS's minimum TTL is 300 seconds. Shorter TTLs are raised to 300s and shown as translated.

A typical ClouDNS zone at NextDNS

Example records for example.com. Open any flagged row to read why it changed.

ClouDNS NextDNS

ExactA@
192.0.2.70
ExactAAAA@
2001:db8::70
UnsupportedMX@
Not migrated
NextDNS doesn't support MX records through its API.
UnsupportedTXT@
Not migrated
NextDNS doesn't support TXT records through its API.
UnsupportedCAA@
Not migrated
NextDNS doesn't support CAA records through its API.
UnsupportedTXT_dmarc
Not migrated
NextDNS doesn't support TXT records through its API.
UnsupportedSRV_sip._tls
Not migrated
NextDNS doesn't support SRV records through its API.
TranslatedCNAMEwww
example.com.
TTL 3600s is outside the allowed range. Set to 300s.

How each record at ClouDNS translates to NextDNS rewrites
Status	Type	Name	At NextDNS	TTL
Exact	A	@	192.0.2.70	5m
Exact	AAAA	@	2001:db8::70	5m
Unsupported	MX	@	Not migrated	—
Unsupported	TXT	@	Not migrated	—
Unsupported	CAA	@	Not migrated	—
Unsupported	TXT	_dmarc	Not migrated	—
Unsupported	SRV	_sip._tls	Not migrated	—
Translated	CNAME	www	example.com.	5m

How the move works

1
Connect ClouDNS
Connect ClouDNS with read-only access (API user auth ID (or sub-user ID/name) + password).
2
Connect NextDNS
Connect NextDNS (API key + profile ID). Write access is only used when you apply.
3
Review the preview
Check every record marked Review or Unsupported. Each one explains what changes and why.
4
Apply to NextDNS
We snapshot the NextDNS zone, write in batches, and leave ClouDNS untouched.
5
Verify
We query NextDNS's own nameservers for every record and compare the answers before you switch.
6
Switch nameservers
Lower TTLs a day or two ahead, remove any DS record if DNSSEC is on, then point the domain at the new nameservers at your registrar.

Good to know about ClouDNS

TTLs must be one of ClouDNS's fixed values (60, 300, 900, 1800, 3600, 21600 … 2592000); other TTLs are rounded up.
Web redirects (CLOUDNS_WR) are ClouDNS-only and are written as plain 301 redirects without frame options.
The API is rate limited to about 20 requests per second per IP, so large zones apply record by record and take a while.

Access we need: A read-only API sub-user with the zones delegated is enough for the preview; applying needs a read-and-write sub-user or a main API user.

Good to know about NextDNS

NextDNS is a filtering resolver, not an authoritative DNS host: only the profile's rewrites are managed, and they answer only for devices that use that profile.
Rewrites map a name to an IP address (A/AAAA) or another name (CNAME); MX, TXT, SRV, CAA and all other types cannot be migrated, and rewrites have no TTL setting.
Zones are grouped from rewrite names (a rewrite for example.com also covers www.example.com rewrites); there are no nameservers to delegate to.

Access we need: The account API key (X-Api-Key). NextDNS keys cannot be scoped or made read-only, so the same key is used for preview and apply.

Questions

Will there be downtime moving from ClouDNS to NextDNS?

Not if both providers serve the same answers during the switch. The records are copied to NextDNS and verified before you change nameservers, so resolvers get the same answer from either side while caches expire.

Do I have to delete anything at ClouDNS?

No. We never write to ClouDNS. Keep the old zone for a week after cutover so you can switch back instantly if anything looks wrong.

What about DNSSEC?

If DNSSEC is on, remove the DS record at your registrar and wait for it to expire before switching nameservers. Then enable DNSSEC at NextDNS and publish its new DS record. The cutover plan walks you through each step.

Ready to see your own zone?

Start a free preview