DigitalOcean DNS BIND zone file
Export DigitalOcean DNS to a zone file.
8 record types move as they are. Nothing else needs special handling.
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
A straightforward move.
A typical DigitalOcean zone at Zone file
Example records for example.com. Open any flagged row to read why it changed.
DigitalOcean Zone file
- 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 Zone file | 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 DigitalOcean
Connect DigitalOcean with read-only access (Personal access token (custom scopes)).
- 2
Connect Zone file
Choose zone file as the destination. Nothing is written anywhere.
- 3
Review the preview
Check every record marked Review or Unsupported. Each one explains what changes and why.
- 4
Download the zone file
Download a normalized RFC 1035 zone file ready to import anywhere.
Good to know about DigitalOcean
- DigitalOcean nameservers don't support DNSSEC, so turn DNSSEC off at the registrar before switching to them.
- TXT records are limited to roughly 500 characters in total and can't contain backslashes.
- CAA records can't use a bare ";" value or CA parameters such as "letsencrypt.org; accounturi=…".
Access we need: domain:read for the preview; domain:read, domain:create, domain:update and domain:delete to apply.
Good to know about Zone file
- Zone files can't express provider features like proxying, alias records or routing policies.
Access we need: No credentials. Everything stays in your browser until you choose to save it.
Questions
Will there be downtime moving from DigitalOcean to Zone file?
Not if both providers serve the same answers during the switch. The records are copied to Zone file 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 DigitalOcean?
No. We never write to DigitalOcean. 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 Zone file and publish its new DS record. The cutover plan walks you through each step.
Ready to see your own zone?
Start a free preview