DNS Management

Configure and manage DNS zones, records, and resolution for production infrastructure.

When to Use

• Setting up domains for web applications, APIs, and email.
• Migrating DNS providers or consolidating zones.
• Configuring DNS for CDN, load balancers, and cloud services.
• Troubleshooting resolution failures, propagation delays, or misconfigurations.
• Implementing DNSSEC, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for email security.

Prerequisites

• Domain registered with a registrar (Namecheap, Route53, Google Domains, Cloudflare).
• Access to DNS provider dashboard or API.
• AWS CLI configured (for Route53 examples).
• dig and nslookup available locally (included in most OS installs).

DNS Record Types Reference

AWS Route 53

Hosted Zone Management

# Create a hosted zone
aws route53 create-hosted-zone \
  --name example.com \
  --caller-reference "$(date +%s)"

# List hosted zones
aws route53 list-hosted-zones

# Get name servers for a zone (update at your registrar)
aws route53 get-hosted-zone --id Z1234567890ABC \
  --query 'DelegationSet.NameServers'

Create and Manage Records

# Create an A record
aws route53 change-resource-record-sets \
  --hosted-zone-id Z1234567890ABC \
  --change-batch '{
    "Changes": [{
      "Action": "CREATE",
      "ResourceRecordSet": {
        "Name": "app.example.com",
        "Type": "A",
        "TTL": 300,
        "ResourceRecords": [{"Value": "93.184.216.34"}]
      }
    }]
  }'

# Create a CNAME record
aws route53 change-resource-record-sets \
  --hosted-zone-id Z1234567890ABC \
  --change-batch '{
    "Changes": [{
      "Action": "CREATE",
      "ResourceRecordSet": {
        "Name": "www.example.com",
        "Type": "CNAME",
        "TTL": 300,
        "ResourceRecords": [{"Value": "example.com"}]
      }
    }]
  }'

# Create an alias record (no TTL, Route53-specific)
aws route53 change-resource-record-sets \
  --hosted-zone-id Z1234567890ABC \
  --change-batch '{
    "Changes": [{
      "Action": "CREATE",
      "ResourceRecordSet": {
        "Name": "example.com",
        "Type": "A",
        "AliasTarget": {
          "HostedZoneId": "Z2FDTNDATAQYW2",
          "DNSName": "d1234567890.cloudfront.net",
          "EvaluateTargetHealth": false
        }
      }
    }]
  }'

# List records in a zone
aws route53 list-resource-record-sets --hosted-zone-id Z1234567890ABC

# Delete a record (Action: DELETE with exact match)
aws route53 change-resource-record-sets \
  --hosted-zone-id Z1234567890ABC \
  --change-batch '{
    "Changes": [{
      "Action": "DELETE",
      "ResourceRecordSet": {
        "Name": "old.example.com",
        "Type": "A",
        "TTL": 300,
        "ResourceRecords": [{"Value": "1.2.3.4"}]
      }
    }]
  }'

Route 53 Health Checks

# Create a health check
aws route53 create-health-check --caller-reference "$(date +%s)" \
  --health-check-config '{
    "IPAddress": "93.184.216.34",
    "Port": 443,
    "Type": "HTTPS",
    "ResourcePath": "/health",
    "RequestInterval": 30,
    "FailureThreshold": 3
  }'

Cloudflare DNS

Manage Records via API

# Get zone ID
ZONE_ID=$(curl -s "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones?name=example.com" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CF_API_TOKEN" | jq -r '.result[0].id')

# Create an A record (proxied through Cloudflare)
curl -X POST "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/dns_records" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CF_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"type":"A","name":"app","content":"93.184.216.34","proxied":true,"ttl":1}'

# Create a CNAME record (DNS only, not proxied)
curl -X POST "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/dns_records" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CF_API_TOKEN" \

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