deSEC Hetzner DNS
Migrate DNS from deSEC to Hetzner.
14 record types move as they are. 1 things work differently at Hetzner, 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
- MX
- TXT
- NS
- SRV
- CAA
- PTR
- DS
- HTTPS
- SVCB
- TLSA
- RP
SSHFP, NAPTR, LOC, CERT, URI, DHCID, DNAME, OPENPGPKEY, SMIMEA aren't available
A typical deSEC zone at Hetzner
Example records for example.com. Open any flagged row to read why it changed.
deSEC Hetzner
- ExactA@
192.0.2.70
- ExactAAAA@
2001:db8::70
- ExactMX@
10 mx1.mail.example.net. +1
- ExactTXT@
"v=spf1 include:_spf.example.net -all"
- ExactCAA@
0 issue "letsencrypt.org"
- ExactTXT_dmarc
"v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.com"
- ExactSRV_sip._tls
100 1 443 sip.example.net.
- ExactCNAMEwww
example.com.
| Status | Type | Name | At Hetzner | TTL | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exact | A | @ |
| 5m | |
| Exact | AAAA | @ |
| 5m | |
| Exact | MX | @ |
| 1h | |
| Exact | TXT | @ |
| 1h | |
| Exact | CAA | @ |
| 1h | |
| Exact | TXT | _dmarc |
| 1h | |
| Exact | SRV | _sip._tls |
| 1h | |
| Exact | CNAME | www |
| 1h |
How the move works
- 1
Connect deSEC
Connect deSEC with read-only access (API token).
- 2
Connect Hetzner
Connect Hetzner (Hetzner Cloud API token (per project)). 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 Hetzner
We snapshot the Hetzner zone, write in batches, and leave deSEC untouched.
- 5
Verify
We query Hetzner'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 deSEC
- The minimum TTL is 3600 seconds for most domains (deSEC sets it per domain) and the maximum is 86400.
- ALIAS/ANAME records and apex CNAMEs aren't supported; use A/AAAA or HTTPS records at the apex.
- Every zone is DNSSEC-signed automatically. Give the DS records to your registrar to complete the chain.
Access we need: Any token can read all RRsets. Applying needs write permission on the RRsets (token policies can restrict it); creating zones needs perm_create_domain.
Good to know about Hetzner
- Uses the Hetzner Console (Cloud API) DNS. The old DNS Console at dns.hetzner.com and its API were shut down in May 2026.
- The Cloud API has no DNSSEC signing, so turn DNSSEC off at the registrar before switching nameservers.
- Only registrable domains can be zones. Subdomains such as dev.example.com can't be their own zone.
Access we need: A Read token for the preview; a Read & Write token to apply.
Questions
Will there be downtime moving from deSEC to Hetzner?
Not if both providers serve the same answers during the switch. The records are copied to Hetzner 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 deSEC?
No. We never write to deSEC. 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 Hetzner and publish its new DS record. The cutover plan walks you through each step.
Ready to see your own zone?
Start a free preview