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DNS Hosting

Table of Contents

DNSimple provides robust DNS hosting using a global Anycast network.

Using DNSimple as a DNS hosting provider

If you want to use DNSimple to manage the DNS of an existing domain, you have two options:

  1. Keep the domain registration at your current registrar and transfer the DNS management to us.

    To use DNSimple to host your DNS for a domain, follow these instructions to point your domain to our name servers.

  2. Transfer the domain registration and DNS management to us.

    If you want DNSimple to act as your domain registrar, follow these instructions to transfer your domain to DNSimple.

If you don’t have a domain yet, you can register a domain with us, and subscribe to a DNS hosting plan to manage the domain with us.

To use our DNS hosting service, the account must be subscribed to a valid plan. Each plan provides different levels of services and has a specific number of DNS zones (domains) included in the subscription fee. You can selectively enable/disable the DNS hosting service for a single domain, depending on whether you need to use our DNS hosting feature or not.

Adding the domain

To use our DNS hosting services, you need to add the domain to a DNSimple account. If you also want to use DNSimple as registrar, you may need to register or transfer the domain to us.

Configuring the domain records

You manage your domain DNS records (also called DNS zone) using the DNS record editor. From the record editor, you can create, delete, and update the DNS records that represent the DNS zone of your domain.

Activating a DNS zone

You can activate the DNS hosting service for a domain from the domain DNS tab.

To activate a DNS zone
  1. Log in to DNSimple with your user credentials.
  2. If you have multiple accounts, select your account in the navigation bar.
  3. On the top-nav menu click the tab, locate the relevant domain, and click on the name to access the domain page.

  4. Switch to the tab.

    Domain DNS tab link

  5. Find the card, and follow the instructions to activate the zone.

    Enable DNS hosting

Each new domain or zone added to an account has the DNS zone inactive, whether you register/transfer the domain or simply add it.

Deactivating a DNS zone

To deactivate a DNS zone
  1. Log in to DNSimple with your user credentials.
  2. If you have multiple accounts, select your account in the navigation bar.
  3. Click the tab, and locate the relevant domain name to access the domain page.

  4. Switch to the tab.

    Domain DNS tab link

  5. Find the card and follow the instructions to disable DNS hosting.

    Disable DNS hosting

If a domain is delegated to our name servers, deactivating a DNS zone for a domain will cause the domain to immediately stop resolving, regardless of whether the domain is registered or just hosted with us.

If the domain is registered with us but delegated to another DNS provider, deactivating the DNS zone won’t change the delegation. The domain will continue to resolve with the other DNS provider.

Use cases

There are a few cases where you may want to deactivate a zone:

  • You wanted to register a domain with us, but you’ll be using a different DNS hosting provider.
  • You wanted to register a domain with us, but you aren’t actively using the domain (e.g the domain is just reserved for future use or parked).
  • You added the domain just to purchase an SSL certificate, but the domain is not delegated to us and it isn’t resolving with DNSimple.