Namecheap BasicDNS BIND zone file

Export Namecheap BasicDNS to a zone file.

7 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
CAA

Alias records are converted

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

URL, URL301, FRAME, MXE aren't available

Zone file can't store URL, URL301, FRAME, MXE records through its API. They're marked Unsupported with the reason, never dropped silently.

A typical Namecheap zone at Zone file

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

Namecheap Zone file

UnsupportedALIAS@
Not migrated
@ is an alias to app.example-host.net at the zone apex. Zone file doesn't support apex aliases or CNAMEs.
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.
UnsupportedURL301go
Not migrated
URL301 is a Namecheap redirect feature, not a DNS record. Recreate it as a redirect rule at Zone file.
ExactCNAMEwww
example.com.

How each record at Namecheap BasicDNS translates to BIND zone file
Status	Type	Name	At Zone file	TTL
Unsupported	ALIAS	@	Not migrated	—
Exact	MX	@	10 mx1.mail.example.net. 20 mx2.mail.example.net.	1h
Exact	TXT	@	"v=spf1 include:_spf.example.net -all"	1h
Exact	CAA	@	0 issue "letsencrypt.org"	1h
Exact	TXT	_dmarc	"v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.com"	1h
Exact	CNAME	blog	example.github.io.	30m
Unsupported	URL301	go	Not migrated	—
Exact	CNAME	www	example.com.	1h

How the move works

1
Connect Namecheap
Connect Namecheap with read-only access (API user + API key, with our egress IP allow-listed).
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 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 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 Namecheap 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 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 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