Hetzner DNS DigitalOcean DNS
Migrate DNS from Hetzner to DigitalOcean.
8 record types move as they are. 1 things work differently at DigitalOcean, 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 aren't available
A typical Hetzner zone at DigitalOcean
Example records for example.com. Open any flagged row to read why it changed.
Hetzner DigitalOcean
- 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 DigitalOcean | 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 Hetzner
Connect Hetzner with read-only access (Hetzner Cloud API token (per project)).
- 2
Connect DigitalOcean
Connect DigitalOcean (Personal access token (custom scopes)). 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 DigitalOcean
We snapshot the DigitalOcean zone, write in batches, and leave Hetzner untouched.
- 5
Verify
We query DigitalOcean'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 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.
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.
Questions
Will there be downtime moving from Hetzner to DigitalOcean?
Not if both providers serve the same answers during the switch. The records are copied to DigitalOcean 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 Hetzner?
No. We never write to Hetzner. 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 DigitalOcean and publish its new DS record. The cutover plan walks you through each step.
Ready to see your own zone?
Start a free preview