DNS overview

DNS lets you manage domains and records directly from the Customer Portal or via the Public API (PAPI). You can create a domain and configure its DNS records before making any changes at your registrar, which allows you to prepare your setup in advance and switch over without downtime.

Concepts

Domain statuses

Every domain you add has one of three statuses that reflects its current verification state:

Undelegated - the domain has neither been delegated to the system's NS servers nor has a valid TXT verification record or lost delegation. The domain is not published and will not resolve.
Verified - the domain is not delegated, but a valid TXT verification record is present at your registrar. The domain is published and resolves.
Delegated - the domain's NS records at your registrar point to the Servers.com NS servers, and at least one of them responds authoritatively. The domain is published and resolves.

The system checks the status of each domain automatically at least once every 24 hours.

How domain verification works

There are two ways to confirm ownership of a domain: NS delegation and TXT record verification. You can use either method, or combine them.

NS delegation means updating the NS records at your registrar to point to the NS servers provided for your domain. Once the system detects that at least one NS server responds authoritatively (an SOA record or AA flag is present), the domain transitions to delegated.

Domains can be assigned account-specific NS servers (with a unique prefix per account). This allows the same domain name to exist independently across multiple accounts. If two accounts have registered the same domain name and both use account-specific NS servers, each account manages its own copy independently. The system tracks which account's domain is currently verified or delegated and publishes accordingly.

TXT record verification is a way to confirm ownership without changing your NS delegation. The system generates a unique TXT record value for your domain. You add this as a TXT record at your registrar. When the system's next check detects the record, the domain transitions to verified and becomes published - even if the NS records still point to your previous provider.

TXT record verification is useful when you want to pre-configure your DNS records here and cut over later, or when you want to migrate from another NS provider without any downtime. You can set up all your records first, add the TXT verification record to go live, then switch NS delegation at your own pace.

Publishing and unpublishing

A domain is published (served by resolver) when its status is verified or delegated. A domain in undelegated status is not published (not served).

If a domain was published and later loses both its delegation and its TXT verification record, it transitions to undelegated. The domain continues to be published for 72 hours to give you time to restore verification. If the domain is not verified or delegated again within 72 hours, it is unpublished automatically.

You receive email notifications when your domain fails a check:

First notification 1 hour after the first failed check (72 hours remaining)
Follow-up notifications every 24 hours until the domain is unpublished

If you restore verification or delegation before the 72-hour window expires, the domain remains published without interruption.

DNS records

You can add, modify, and delete DNS records for a domain at any time - including when the domain is in undelegated status. This means you can fully configure a domain before it goes live.

The following record types are supported:

A - links a domain name to an IPv4 address
AAAA - links a domain name to an IPv6 address
CNAME - canonical name record used for redirection to another domain name
MX - points to mail exchange servers for the domain
TXT - associates free text with the domain; also used for ownership verification
NS - defines the authoritative name servers for the domain
SRV - points to servers for specific services such as Jabber or Active Directory
PTR - a reverse DNS record that links an IP address to a canonical name; used in mailing to reduce spam
CAA - specifies which certificate authorities (CAs) are allowed to issue SSL/TLS certificates for your domain

An SOA record is created automatically when you add a domain. You cannot manually create or edit the SOA record directly - SOA parameters such as TTL and admin email are updated through the domain settings.

CAA record

A CAA (Certification Authority Authorization) record allows a domain owner to specify which certificate authority is authorized to issue SSL/TLS certificates for their domain. It reduces the risk of unauthorized certificate issuance and phishing attacks.

A CAA record consists of three parameters:

Flag - an integer that defines how the CAA record should be processed. Two values are supported:
- 0 (non-critical): allows the certificate to be issued without strict enforcement of the record
- 128 (critical): rejects the certificate request if the CA does not recognize or support the CAA record
Tag - a string that specifies how the CA should handle certificate issuance:
- issue - allows a specified CA to issue standard certificates
- issuewild - allows the issuance of wildcard certificates
- iodef - specifies a contact email for receiving violation notifications related to CAA policies
Value - a string containing at most one CA identifier permitted to issue certificates for the domain

Use cases

Pre-configuring a domain before migration You are migrating from another DNS provider and want to avoid any downtime. You add your domain here while it is still delegated elsewhere. You configure all DNS records in advance. You then add the TXT verification record to go live immediately, and later switch NS delegation at your registrar at a convenient time.

Automating DNS management in CI/CD You use the Public API (PAPI) to create domains, manage records, and check verification status as part of your deployment pipeline. Domains can be created before infrastructure is ready, and records can be updated programmatically without using the Customer Portal.

Setting up a domain in advance You have obtained a new domain and want to configure its DNS records before you are ready to go live. You add the domain, configure all records, and leave it in undelegated status until you are ready to delegate or verify.

Limitations

Status checks run at most once per 24 hours. Changes you make at your registrar - such as adding a TXT record or updating NS servers - are not reflected immediately.
Domains in undelegated status are unpublished after 72 hours. To restore publishing, the domain must pass a delegation or TXT verification check.
Custom or vanity NS server names are not supported.
If two accounts have registered the same domain and both are verified or delegated, the system publishes only the domain in the account that most recently passed the check. The other account's domain is unpublished and its owner is notified by email.
SOA records cannot be created or edited directly via the records API. SOA parameters are managed through the domain settings.

Billing

DNS is free of charge.