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dnsmigrator

DNSimple BIND zone file

Export DNSimple to a zone file.

16 record types move as they are. 2 things work differently at Zone file, 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
  • SSHFP
  • NAPTR
  • SPF

Alias records are converted

DNSimple alias records become CNAMEs below the apex. At the apex they need static addresses, and the preview shows which ones.

A typical DNSimple zone at Zone file

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

DNSimple 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.

How the move works

  1. 1

    Connect DNSimple

    Connect DNSimple with read-only access (Account API access token).

  2. 2

    Connect Zone file

    Choose zone file as the destination. Nothing is written anywhere.

  3. 3

    Review the preview

    Check every record marked Review or Unsupported. Each one explains what changes and why.

  4. 4

    Download the zone file

    Download a normalized RFC 1035 zone file ready to import anywhere.

Good to know about DNSimple

  • Add the domain to your DNSimple account before migrating; zones can't be created through this connection.
  • Apex NS and SOA records are managed by DNSimple and can't be changed.
  • ALIAS, URL and some record types depend on your DNSimple plan.

Access we need: DNSimple tokens can't be limited to read-only. Use an account token (not a user token) so access is confined to one account.

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 DNSimple 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 DNSimple?

No. We never write to DNSimple. 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.

Related migrations

Ready to see your own zone?

Start a free preview