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DNSmigrator

Rackspace Cloud DNS Namecheap BasicDNS

Migrate DNS from Rackspace to Namecheap.

6 record types move as they are. 3 things work differently at Namecheap, and the preview shows exactly which of your records they affect.

Free preview. Read-only. Nothing changes until you apply.

Rackspace to Namecheap DNS migration differences

Generated from the same provider capability data the migration engine uses.

Moves as-is

  • A
  • AAAA
  • CNAME
  • MX
  • NS
  • TXT

Namecheap rewrites the whole host list

Every write to Namecheap's API replaces all records. We read, merge and write once, so records outside the migration survive.

Namecheap needs BasicDNS turned on

Namecheap only accepts records while the domain uses its BasicDNS nameservers, so records are written at cutover time rather than staged in advance.

A typical Rackspace zone at Namecheap

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

Rackspace Namecheap

  • 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"

  • UnsupportedSRV_sip._tls

    Not migrated

    Namecheap doesn't support SRV records through its API.

  • ExactCNAMEwww

    example.com.

Set up the connections

Use the provider-specific credential guides before you preview, then keep the migration checklist beside the cutover plan.

How the move works

  1. 1

    Connect Rackspace

    Connect Rackspace with read-only access (Cloud account username and API key).

  2. 2

    Connect Namecheap

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

    We snapshot the Namecheap zone, write in batches, and leave Rackspace untouched.

  5. 5

    Verify

    We query Namecheap'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 Rackspace

  • Apex NS and SOA records are managed by Rackspace and can't be changed.
  • PTR records are only managed through Rackspace's reverse-DNS API for its own cloud devices, so they aren't migrated.
  • TTLs below 300 seconds are raised to 300.
  • Rackspace removes quote and backslash characters from TXT data.
  • Changes run as asynchronous Rackspace jobs; we wait for each job to finish, so large plans take longer.
  • New domains use the connection's SOA contact email, or hostmaster@<domain> when none is set.
  • Subdomains that Rackspace hosts as separate domains are listed as their own zones.

Access we need: Use a dedicated account user with the DNS Admin product role (dnsaas:admin). DNS Creator can't delete records, and DNS Observer is read-only, which is enough for a source connection.

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.

Questions

Will there be downtime moving from Rackspace to Namecheap?

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

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

Related migrations

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