DNS records
Frequently asked questions about DNS records
What are DNS records used for?
They tell your domain name ("example.com") or sub-domain ("something.example.com") where to go, to a website or mail server for example.
Where can I change my DNS records?
If you use Gandi's LiveDNS and if your domain is at Gandi, you can manage your DNS records from our interface in the Domain / DNS records menu.
If you are using DNS external to Gandi, contact your website provider and ask them to modify your records, or do so via their interface.
I get the message "This zone was flagged as v5 only and cannot be modified" on the classic site (v4).
Switch to Gandi's LiveDNS from the Domain / Name Servers menu.
How long does it take for my DNS records to work?
Please allow a few hours for the changes to be visible across the whole Internet.
Important note:
There's no point in assigning a low TTL to a record, as this won't speed up propagation if it's specified for a new DNS record since the TTL that has already been propagated is the one that's applied.
What types of records do Gandi's LiveDNS accept?
If you use our LiveDNS, you can add these types of records to your domain via the interface :
A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT, WKS, SRV, LOC, SPF, CAA, SSHFP, PTR, DNAME
In addition to these records, the following are also supported via our LiveDNS REST API:
DS, TLSA, CDS
General
There are two editing modes for DNS records: the "Simple View" method, and a direct DNS zone editing mode via the "Advanced View".
Important
We recommend that you make a backup of the current zone before making any changes. To do so, click on the "Save a backup" button in the "Backup" section at the bottom of the page.
Note
Gandi's DNS use a so-called "dynamic" syntax, which means that the "apex" (i.e.: naked) domain must be written using an arobase (@), and that you only need to specify the subdomains using the name before the dot (.) in the address. It isn't necessary to specify the complete subdomain (e.g. "www" is sufficient to declare the subdomain "www.monexample.com").
In " Simple view " mode
All records are displayed in summary form at the top of the page, and can be edited using the "pencil ( )" icon to the right of the relevant record.
Note
Only the "value" of a record can be modified, never its name. If you need to change the name or type of a record, create a new record (and delete the old one if necessary).
The various fields are customized according to the type of record created, but some are common to all record types:
Type: A: indicates a "link" to a server IPv4 address
TTL: 10800 seconds: TTL or Time To Live indicates how long the record will take to go live, or how many seconds (in this example) it will take for the DNS root to reload the record. This indicates how long it will take for a new record to actually take effect.
Name: this is the domain (noted @) or subdomain that should point to the above IP address.
Note
Since it's the previously propagated TTL that counts, there's no point in using a low TTL to "speed up" propagation.
More information: https://www.bortzmeyer.org/forcer-ttl.html
Don't forget that in " Simple View " mode, you must " Update " each record in order for it to be saved.
In " Simple view " mode
All records are displayed in summary form at the top of the page, and can be edited using the "pencil ( )" icon to the right of the relevant record.
Note
Only the "value" of a record can be modified, never its name. If you need to change the name or type of a record, create a new record (and delete the old one if necessary).
The various fields are customized according to the type of record created, but some are common to all record types:
Type: A: indicates a "link" to a server IPv4 address
TTL: 10800 seconds: TTL or Time To Live indicates how long the record will take to go live, or how many seconds (in this example) it will take for the DNS root to reload the record. This indicates how long it will take for a new record to actually take effect.
Name: this is the domain (noted @) or subdomain that should point to the above IP address.
Note
Since the it's the previously propagated TTL that counts, there's no point in using a low TTL to "speed up" propagation.
More information: https://www.bortzmeyer.org/forcer-ttl.html
Don't forget that in " Simple View " mode, you must " Update " each record in order for it to be saved.
Via zone file
To be able to modify the zone file (don't forget to create a backup before making any changes), you first need to activate the editor with the "Edit zone file" button.
You can then correct, delete and modify records directly (as in a text editor), following the BIND syntax (named after the "language" used to configure a name server). Refer to the table in the note on dynamic syntax for correct record "naming" and the record type needed for specific syntax.
Ultimately, most records should follow this format:
name TTL **IN** Record_type value
If the record is a new record, it should be available within a few minutes. If it replaces an existing record, the TTL will apply before it becomes operational. However, depending on the speed of propagation, this may be shorter or longer.
Tip
To prevent an old cached page from displaying when you check, clear your browser's cache memory as described on this page:
https://docs.gandi.net/en/account_management/faq/index.html#how-do-i-clear-my-cache-and-or-cookies