Hetzner DNS BIND zone file
Export Hetzner DNS to a zone file.
14 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
- PTR
- DS
- HTTPS
- SVCB
- TLSA
- RP
A straightforward move.
A typical Hetzner zone at Zone file
Example records for example.com. Open any flagged row to read why it changed.
Hetzner 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 Hetzner
Connect Hetzner with read-only access (Hetzner Cloud API token (per project)).
- 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 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 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 Hetzner 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 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 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