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Namecheap BasicDNS DNS Made Easy

Migrate DNS from Namecheap to DNS Made Easy.

8 record types move as they are. 1 things work differently at DNS Made Easy, 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
  • CAA
  • ALIAS

A typical Namecheap zone at DNS Made Easy

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

Namecheap DNS Made Easy

  • TranslatedALIAS@

    app.example-host.net.

    Stored as a DNS Made Easy ALIAS record to app.example-host.net.

  • 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"

  • ExactCNAMEblog

    example.github.io.

  • ExactURL301go

    https://example.com/start

  • ExactCNAMEwww

    example.com.

How the move works

  1. 1

    Connect Namecheap

    Connect Namecheap with read-only access (API user + API key, with our egress IP allow-listed).

  2. 2

    Connect DNS Made Easy

    Connect DNS Made Easy (API key + secret key (HMAC-SHA1 signed requests)). Write access is only used when you apply.

  3. 3

    Review the preview

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

  4. 4

    Apply to DNS Made Easy

    We snapshot the DNS Made Easy zone, write in batches, and leave Namecheap untouched.

  5. 5

    Verify

    We query DNS Made Easy's own nameservers for every record and compare the answers before you switch.

  6. 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 Namecheap

  • Namecheap's API replaces the whole host list on every write, so we always read, merge and then write.
  • SRV records can't be managed through the API.
  • URL redirect records are Namecheap-specific and aren't real DNS records.

Access we need: API access enabled under Profile → Tools, with our static IP added to the allow-list.

Good to know about DNS Made Easy

  • The API allows 150 requests per 5 minutes per key, so large zones can take several minutes to apply.
  • Only records in the DEFAULT Global Traffic Director location are read and changed.
  • System NS records are managed by DNS Made Easy; HTTP redirects (HTTPRED) map to URL, URL301 and FRAME records.

Access we need: API keys act with the permissions of the user they belong to; that user needs read access for the preview and edit rights on the domains to apply.

Questions

Will there be downtime moving from Namecheap to DNS Made Easy?

Not if both providers serve the same answers during the switch. The records are copied to DNS Made Easy 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 Namecheap?

No. We never write to Namecheap. 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 DNS Made Easy and publish its new DS record. The cutover plan walks you through each step.

Ready to see your own zone?

Start a free preview