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Vultr DNS DigitalOcean DNS

Migrate DNS from Vultr to DigitalOcean.

8 record types move as they are. 1 things work differently at DigitalOcean, 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
  • SRV
  • CAA

A typical Vultr zone at DigitalOcean

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

Vultr DigitalOcean

  • 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 Vultr

    Connect Vultr with read-only access (API key (personal access token)).

  2. 2

    Connect DigitalOcean

    Connect DigitalOcean (Personal access token (custom scopes)). 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 DigitalOcean

    We snapshot the DigitalOcean zone, write in batches, and leave Vultr untouched.

  5. 5

    Verify

    We query DigitalOcean'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 Vultr

  • Vultr API keys can't be limited to read-only, so use a dedicated user that only has the Manage DNS permission.
  • If API Access Control is enabled, requests from IP addresses that aren't on the allow-list are rejected.
  • TXT values can't contain double quotes.

Access we need: A user with the Manage DNS permission for both preview and apply. Vultr keys have no read-only mode.

Good to know about DigitalOcean

  • DigitalOcean nameservers don't support DNSSEC, so turn DNSSEC off at the registrar before switching to them.
  • TXT records are limited to roughly 500 characters in total and can't contain backslashes.
  • CAA records can't use a bare ";" value or CA parameters such as "letsencrypt.org; accounturi=…".

Access we need: domain:read for the preview; domain:read, domain:create, domain:update and domain:delete to apply.

Questions

Will there be downtime moving from Vultr to DigitalOcean?

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

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

Ready to see your own zone?

Start a free preview