What Is a DNS Zone?

A DNS zone is the set of records for a domain, kept by the nameservers that answer for it. The records say where the domain's names point: which address serves example.com, which one serves www.example.com, and where its email goes. When someone types your domain, their computer asks those nameservers and follows the answer.

How it works

Each domain is delegated to a set of nameservers, which you choose at the company where you registered the domain. Those nameservers hold the zone and answer questions about it. Changing a record in the zone changes what everyone is told about your domain, after any cached answers expire.

Each entry in a zone is a record of a type:

• A points a name at an IPv4 address; AAAA at an IPv6 address.
• CNAME makes one name an alias of another.
• MX says which servers receive the domain's email.
• TXT holds text, used for SPF, DKIM and proofs of domain ownership.
• NS hands a subdomain to other nameservers, SRV locates services, PTR maps an address back to a name, and CAA limits which certificate authorities may issue certificates for the domain.

When to use it

• You have a domain and want to point it at a website, a server or an email provider.
• You want your DNS records next to the servers and sites they point at, in one account.
• You want to change records from code, through an API.

When not to use it

• Your registrar or email provider already hosts your DNS and you are happy there. You can point individual records at VeloxaHost without moving the zone.
• You need DNSSEC signing or traffic steering between regions. VeloxaHost DNS does not list either, so keep the zone with a provider that does.

How it works on VeloxaHost

1. Go to DNS Zones in the console and create a zone for your domain.
2. Prove you own the domain by adding the TXT record the console shows at your current DNS provider.
3. Once ownership is confirmed, VeloxaHost creates the zone.
4. At your registrar, set the domain's nameservers to ns1.veloxahost.com and ns2.veloxahost.com. The change can take from 15 minutes to 48 hours to spread, depending on your registrar.

• Record types. A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS, SRV, PTR and CAA. The API accepts all of them except CAA, which you add in the console.
• Free. DNS management is included for every VeloxaHost customer, with no per-query charge.
• Point it anywhere. Use an A record for a server's dedicated IPv4 address, or the records a managed hosting site shows you. US East servers have no IPv6 address yet, so AAAA records there are not needed.

FAQ

Is DNS hosting free on VeloxaHost?

Yes. DNS management is included for all customers, with no per-query charges.

What nameservers does VeloxaHost use?

ns1.veloxahost.com and ns2.veloxahost.com. Set them at the company where you registered the domain.

Why do I have to prove I own the domain?

So nobody can create a zone for a domain that is not theirs. Add the TXT record the console shows at your current DNS provider; the zone is created once it is found.

How long do DNS changes take?

A nameserver change usually takes between 15 minutes and 48 hours to spread. Record changes inside a zone show up once cached answers expire.