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dnsmigrator

NextDNS rewrites Amazon Route 53

Migrate DNS from NextDNS to Route 53.

3 record types move as they are. 1 things work differently at Route 53, 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

Apex CNAMEs need a different shape

Route 53 doesn't allow a CNAME at the apex. CloudFront targets become alias records; anything else needs static A/AAAA records.

A typical NextDNS zone at Route 53

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

NextDNS Route 53

  • 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 NextDNS

    Connect NextDNS with read-only access (API key + profile ID).

  2. 2

    Connect Route 53

    Connect Route 53 (Cross-account IAM role with an external ID). 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 Route 53

    We snapshot the Route 53 zone, write in batches, and leave NextDNS untouched.

  5. 5

    Verify

    We query Route 53'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 NextDNS

  • NextDNS is a filtering resolver, not an authoritative DNS host: only the profile's rewrites are managed, and they answer only for devices that use that profile.
  • Rewrites map a name to an IP address (A/AAAA) or another name (CNAME); MX, TXT, SRV, CAA and all other types cannot be migrated, and rewrites have no TTL setting.
  • Zones are grouped from rewrite names (a rewrite for example.com also covers www.example.com rewrites); there are no nameservers to delegate to.

Access we need: The account API key (X-Api-Key). NextDNS keys cannot be scoped or made read-only, so the same key is used for preview and apply.

Good to know about Route 53

  • Alias records can only target AWS resources or records in the same hosted zone.
  • Weighted, latency, geolocation and failover routing are Route 53 features. Most other providers can't reproduce them.
  • Apex CNAMEs are not allowed. Use an alias record instead.

Access we need: route53:ListHostedZones, GetHostedZone, ListResourceRecordSets for the preview; ChangeResourceRecordSets and CreateHostedZone to apply.

Questions

Will there be downtime moving from NextDNS to Route 53?

Not if both providers serve the same answers during the switch. The records are copied to Route 53 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 NextDNS?

No. We never write to NextDNS. 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 Route 53 and publish its new DS record. The cutover plan walks you through each step.

Related migrations

Ready to see your own zone?

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