DNSimple TTL Settings Reference
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New records in DNSimple have a TTL of 1 hour (3600 seconds), and the record editor lets you choose a TTL from 1 minute to 3 days. To learn more about TTL, see What Is Time-to-Live?.
TTL values and defaults
The Time-to-Live (TTL) value for a DNS record determines how long a DNS resolver can cache a record before needing to refresh it from the authoritative name servers.
- Default TTL: The standard TTL for records added to DNSimple is 1 hour (3600 seconds).
- Minimum TTL: Through the web interface, you can select a TTL as low as 1 minute (60 seconds).
- Values in the record editor: The TTL (Refresh Rate) list offers 1 minute, 10 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, 1 day, and 3 days.
TTL recommendations
The TTL value you set can affect both the performance and update speed of your domain.
- When to use a low TTL: You may want to lower a record’s TTL to a short value (e.g., 1 to 5 minutes) when you are preparing for an imminent DNS record change. Lower the TTL at least one full old TTL before the change, so resolvers’ cached copies expire sooner and pick up the new value faster (what customers often call propagation). This reduces potential downtime.
- When to use a high TTL: During normal, stable operation, we recommend keeping your TTL at the default of 1 hour or more. A higher TTL means DNS resolvers only need to check for a record update once an hour, reducing DNS query traffic and resulting in better performance for your clients.
DNSimple-specific policy
DNSimple reserves the right to review traffic patterns for performance and stability. If a record’s TTL is deemed too low for a given traffic pattern, we may contact you via email first and request that you raise the TTL to a higher value. This is done to improve cache results and maintain the health of our DNS network.
To change a record’s TTL, see How to Change TTL in DNSimple. For how caching affects when changes appear, see How DNS Caching and TTL Affect Delegation and Record Changes. For more information about DNS caching and how TTL affects record visibility, see Check DNS Cache and How Long Does a New DNS Record Take to Resolve?.
Have more questions?
If you have additional questions or need any assistance with your TTL settings, just contact support, and we will be happy to help. You can also read more about DNS hosting at DNSimple.