How Long Does a New DNS Record Take to Resolve?

Records you add to a domain will be available within seconds from all of DNSimple’s name servers. Full DNS propagation - the time it takes for the change to be visible worldwide - depends on how other DNS resolvers handle caching.

DNS propagation and caching

DNS propagation is the time it takes for DNS record changes to spread across all resolvers on the internet. When a new record is added, a DNS resolver may not see it immediately if it has recently queried the domain for that same record. Resolvers store DNS information in a cache to reduce network traffic and speed up lookups.

This caching behavior also applies to records that do not exist. If a DNS resolver queries for a name that is not yet in the system, it will cache that negative response. It may take up to an hour for this negative result to be cleared from a resolver’s cache, causing a delay before your new record becomes publicly visible.

To learn more about how caching works and how to control it, read our What Is Time-to-Live? article. For information about DNSimple’s TTL settings, see What is the Minimum Time-To-Live Provided by DNSimple?.

If you are experiencing issues with records not resolving, see Check DNS Cache for steps to clear your cache, or refer to Troubleshoot Record Resolution Issues and Troubleshoot Domain Resolution Issues for guidance.

Have more questions?

If you have additional questions about caching, just contact support, and we will be happy to help.