For both Standard and Premium DNS accounts, you can access the Zone File Editor from the Domain Manager if your domain names are registered here and using our nameservers (not including CashParking® and Quick Content).

If your domain names are registered elsewhere and using our Off-site DNS, use the instructions in Managing Domain Names with Off-site DNS to access the Zone File Editor.

To Access the Zone File Editor

1. Log in to your Account Manager.
2. Next to Domains, click Launch.
3. Do one of the following:
   • From the DNS menu, select DNS Manager, and then click Edit Zone for the domain name you want to update.
   • Click the domain name you want to update, and, in the DNS Manager section, click Launch.

The Zone File Editor lets you filter the DNS records for your zone file. For example, you can use the filter to view only your A records.

To Filter a Record

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. In the Filter section, select the zone records you want to view.

An A (host) record connects your domain name to your IP address. A records let users enter your domain name in a Web browser to access your website. They are the most common type of zone record.

To Add an A Record

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. Click Add New Record.
3. From the Record type list, select A (Host).
4. Complete the following fields:
   • Host Name — Enter the host name the A record links to. Type @ to point the record directly to your domain name, including the www.
   • Points to IP Address — Enter the IP address your domain name uses for this host record.
   • TTL — Select how long the server should cache the information.
5. Click OK.
6. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK. The new A record displays in the A (Host) section.

To Edit an A Record

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. In the A (Host) section, click the A record you want to edit.
3. Edit any of the following fields:
   • Host — Enter the host name the A record links to. Type @ to map the record directly to your domain name, including the www.
   • Points to — Enter the IP address your domain name uses for this host record.
   • TTL — Select how long the server should cache the information.
4. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK.

A CNAME (Alias) record points to an A (Host) record. You can create multiple CNAME records and point them to an A record. The most common CNAME records are the subdomains www and ftp.

CNAME records make your DNS data easier to manage. If you change the IP address of an A record, all CNAME records pointed to that A record automatically follow the new IP address. The alternative solution, multiple A records, is not as simple as using CNAME records.

You can click Restore Defaults in the CNAME (Alias) section of the Zone File Editor to restore the default MX records for your domain name.

To Add a CNAME Record

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. Click Add New Record.
3. From the Record type list, select CNAME (Alias).
4. Complete the following fields:
   • Enter an Alias Name — Enter the subdomain name for the alias assignment. For example, type www.
   • Points to Host Name — Enter the host name you want the alias to point to. For example, type @ to map the alias directly to your domain name.
   • TTL — Select how long the server should cache the information.
5. Click OK.
6. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK. The new CNAME record displays in the CNAME (Alias) section.

To Edit a CNAME Record

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. In the CNAME (Alias) section, click the CNAME record you want to edit.
3. Edit any of the following fields:
   • Host — Enter the subdomain name for the alias assignment. For example, type www.
   • Points to — Enter the host name you want the alias to point to. For example, type @ to map the alias directly to your domain name.
   • TTL — Select how long the server should cache the information.
4. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK.

Mail servers send and receive email messages on the Internet. MX (Mail Exchanger) records specify and prioritize the incoming mail servers that receive email messages sent to your domain name. There is often no need to modify your MX records. Sometimes you have to update them if you host a website with one network but you have email hosted in another.

Normally, you have multiple MX records assigned to your domain name, which can prevent lost email messages during an outage. Each MX record has a priority, or a number to designate the order in which your domain name’s incoming mail servers receive your email messages. The MX record with the lowest number is the first, or primary, mail server to which outgoing mail servers attempt to deliver your email messages.

For example, if you have MX0 and MX10, then MX0 is your primary mail server and MX10 is an alternate mail server. If your primary mail server is unavailable, the alternate mail server stores your email messages until the primary server is back online.

You can click Restore Defaults in the MX (Mail Exchanger) section of the Zone File Editor to restore the default MX records for your domain name.

NOTE: You cannot set up your domain name to use more than one mail provider at a time. If you have an email account through another email provider and change your MX record to point to our mail servers, you will not have access to your email account.

To Add an MX Record

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. Click Add New Record.
3. From the Record type list, select MX (Mail Exchanger).
4. Complete the following fields:
   • Priority — Select the priority you want to assign to the mail server.
   • Host Name — Enter the domain name or subdomain for the MX record. For example, type @ to map the record directly to your domain name, or enter the subdomain of your host name, such as www or ftp.
   • Enter Goes To Address — Enter the mail server's address, such as smtp.secureserver.net.
   • TTL — Select how long the server should cache the information.
5. Click OK.
6. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK. The new MX records displays in the MX (Mail Exchanger) section.

To Edit an MX Record

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. In the MX (Mail Exchanger) section, click the MX record you want to edit.
3. Edit any of the following fields:
   • Priority — Select the priority you want to assign to the mail server.
   • Host — Enter the domain name or subdomain for the MX record. For example, type @ to map the record directly to your domain name, or enter the subdomain of your host name, such as www or ftp.
   • Points to — Enter the mail server's address, such as smtp.secureserver.net.
   • TTL — Select how long the server should cache the information.
4. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK.

A TXT (Text) record is an informational record you can use to provide additional information about the named service. You can use a TXT record to include notes about a host, or you can format it to provide technical information to servers. Using the name=value format, where the characters preceding the first = sign are the name and everything after the first = sign is the value, you can enter up to 255 characters.

NOTE: You can create multiple TXT records, but their cumulative lengths cannot exceed 512 characters.

To Add a TXT Record

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. Click Add New Record.
3. From the Record type list, select TXT (Text).
4. Complete the following fields:
   • TXT Name — Enter the host name for the TXT record. For example, type @ to map the record directly to your domain name, or enter the subdomain of your host name, such as www or ftp. (This field is labeled Host in the TXT (Text) section of the Zone File Editor.)
   • TXT Value — Enter the value you want to assign to the record.
   • TTL — Select how long the server should cache the information.
5. Click OK.
6. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK. The TXT record displays in the TXT (Text) section.

To Edit a TXT Record

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. In the TXT (Text) section, click the TXT record you want to edit.
3. Edit any of the following fields:
   • Host — Enter the host name for the TXT record. For example, type @ to map the record directly to your domain name, or enter the subdomain of your host name, such as www or ftp.
   • TXT Value — Enter the value you want to assign to the record.
   • TTL — Select how long the server should cache the information.
4. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK.

A Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record is a type of TXT record that lets you explicitly define the outgoing mail servers that can send email from your domain name. You can use them to prevent spam. When incoming mail servers receive email messages from your domain name, they compare the SPF record to the outgoing mail server information. If the information doesn't match, they identify the email message as unauthorized.

To Add an SPF Record

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. Click Add New Record.
3. From the Record type list, select SPF (Sender Policy Framework).
4. For This domain sends mail through, select one of the following options:
   • Us only — Sends email messages from our mail servers only.
   • Us and an ISP — Sends email messages via our mail servers and your ISP's mail servers.
   • An ISP or other mail provider — Sends email from your ISP's mail servers or from another mail provider.
   • No email is sent from this domain — Does not send email from this domain name.
5. From the Inbound tab, do one or more of the following:
   • All Inbound Servers May Send Mail — Select this option to allow any incoming mail servers to send email messages. Most inbound mail servers send outbound NDRs (non-delivery receipts).
   • Select individual servers — Select the incoming mail servers allowed to receive email messages.
   • Enter Additional MX Addresses (one per line) — (Optional) Enter additional incoming MX (Mail Exchanger) addresses allowed to receive email messages.
   • Exclude all hosts not specified here (-all) — (Optional) Select this option to block any incoming mail servers not specified here from receiving email messages.
6. From the Outbound tab, do one or more of the following:
   • All Addresses in A Records — Select this option if the IP addresses listed in your A records for the domain name are also outbound mail servers.
   • Enter Additional A Addresses (one per line) — (Optional) Enter additional outgoing A addresses allowed to send email messages.
   • Exclude all hosts not specified here (-all) — (Optional) Select this option to block any outgoing mail servers not specified here from sending email messages.
7. From the PTR tab, do one or more of the following:
   • PTR (DNS Lookup) — Select this option to allow all servers ending with your domain name to send email messages.
   • Enter Additional PTR Addresses (one per line) — (Optional) Enter additional PTR addresses allowed to send email messages.
   • Exclude all hosts not specified here (-all) — (Optional) Select this option to block any outgoing mail servers not specified here from sending email messages.

     NOTE: A PTR refers to reverse DNS records. In an SPF record, including the PTR tells the receiving SMTP server to complete a reverse DNS lookup on the sending server's IP address and then expect a match in the response. If you enter additional PTR addresses, responses ending in those domain names are considered valid matches.

8. From the Outsourced tab, do one or more of the following:
   • Enter Outsourced Domains (one per line) — If an ISP or other third-party server sends email messages from your domain name, enter the third-party domain names you are using.
   • Exclude all hosts not specified here (-all) — (Optional) Select this option to block any outgoing mail servers not specified here from sending email messages.
9. Click OK.
10. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK. The SPF record displays in the TXT (Text) section.

To Edit an SPF Record

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. In the TXT (Text) section, click the SPF record you want to edit.
3. Edit any of the following fields:
   • Host — Enter the host name for the TXT record. For example, type @ to map the record directly to your domain name, or enter the subdomain of your host name, such as www or ftp.
   • TXT Value — Enter the value you want to assign to the record.
   • TTL — Select how long the server should cache the information.
4. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK.

SRV (Service) records are resource records used to identify computers that host specific services, such as FTP. For example, a client might issue a request for the SRV Record to find the host name that provides the service for a specific domain name. The service might be used on that domain name or a different one might call it.

To Add an SRV Record

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. Click Add New Record.
3. From the Record type list, select SRV (Service).
4. Complete the following fields:
   • Service — Enter the service name of this SRV record. The name should begin with an underscore, such as _ldap, _ftp, or _smtp.
   • Protocol — Enter the protocol the service uses. The name should begin with an underscore, such as _tcp or _udp.
   • Name — Enter the host name or domain name the SRV links to, such as server1. If you want to link the record to your domain name, type @.
   • Priority — Select the priority for the SRV record. For multiple records that have the same Name and Service, clients use the priority number to determine which Target to contact first.
   • Weight — Select the weight of the SRV record. For multiple records that have the same Name, Service, and Priority, clients use the weight number to determine which Target to contact first.
   • Port — Enter the port number for the service, such as 80 or 21.
   • Target — Enter the host name of the server that provides the service this record describes. For example, type ftp.coolexample.com. This host name must be an A or AAAA type in the DNS zone for the domain name that provides the service.
5. Click OK.
6. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK. The SRV record displays in the SRV (Service) section.

To Edit an SRV Record

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. In the SRV (Service) section, click the SRV record you want to edit.
3. Edit any of the following fields:
   • Service — Enter the service name of this SRV record. The name should begin with an underscore, such as _ldap, _ftp, or _smtp.
   • Protocol — Enter the protocol the service uses. The name should begin with an underscore, such as _tcp or _udp.
   • Name — Enter the host name or domain name the SRV links to, such as server1. If you want to link the record to your domain name, type @.
   • Priority — Select the priority for the SRV record. For multiple records that have the same Name and Service, clients use the priority number to determine which Target to contact first.
   • Weight — Select the weight of the SRV record. For multiple records that have the same Name, Service, and Priority, clients use the weight number to determine which Target to contact first.
   • Port — Enter the port number for the service, such as 80 or 21.
   • Target — Enter the host name of the server that provides the service this record describes. For example, type ftp.coolexample.com. This host name must be an A or AAAA type in the DNS zone for the domain name that provides the service.
4. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK.

AAAA records store 128-bit Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) addresses that do not fit the standard A-record format. For example, 2001:0db8::85a3:0000:0000:6a2e:0371:7234 is a valid 128-bit/IPv6 address. It maps the host name to an address associated with a domain name and specifies that AAAA records must be processed.

To Add an AAAA Record

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. Click Add New Record.
3. From the Record type list, select AAAA.
4. Complete the following fields:
   • Host Name — Enter the host name or domain name that links to this AAAA record.
   • Points to IPv6 Address — Enter the 128-bit address.
   • TTL — Select how long the server should cache the information.
5. Click OK.
6. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK. The AAAA record displays in the AAAA (IPv6) section.

To Edit an AAAA Record

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. In the AAAA (IPv6) section, click the AAAA record you want to edit.
3. Edit any of the following fields:
   • Host — Enter the host name or domain name that links to this AAAA record.
   • Points to — Enter the 128-bit address.
   • TTL — Select how long the server should cache the information.
4. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK.

NS (Name Server) records give third-party nameservers the authority to manage the DNS for your subdomains. In every zone file, there must be at least two NS records. When you add an NS record for a subdomain, your subdomain and domain name have different zone files on the third-party nameserver.

To set the nameservers for your domain name, you must do so in the Domain Manager. Nameservers you set in the Domain Manager display as Informational in the NS (Nameserver) section of the Zone File Editor. For more information, see Setting Nameservers for Your Domain Names.

NOTE: After you add NS records, your DNS continues to display in our system for up to 48 hours. After your update propagates, you can no longer access your DNS in our system. You must contact your third-party provider to set up a corresponding zone file for the domain name to make any future updates to your DNS.

To Add an NS Record

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. Click Add New Record.
3. From the Record type list, select NS (Name Server).
4. Complete the following fields:
   • Host Name — Enter the subdomain you want to add a NS record for.
   • Points to Host Name — Enter the nameserver you want to use to manage your subdomain.
   • TTL — Select how long the server should cache the information.
5. Click OK.
6. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK. The NS record displays in the NS (Name Server) section.

To Edit an NS Record

You can only edit NS records that you manually added in the Zone File Editor. You can view the nameservers you set in the Domain Manager, but they display as Informational, and you can only edit them in the Domain Manager. For more information, see Setting Nameservers for Your Domain Names.

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. In the NS (Name Server) section, click the NS record you want to edit.
3. Edit any of the following fields:
   • Host — Enter the subdomain you want to add the NS record for.
   • Points to — Enter the nameserver you want to use to manage your subdomain.
   • TTL — Select how long the server should cache the information.
4. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK.

In the Zone File Editor, you can use the Quick Add feature to quickly create any type of DNS record.

To Use Quick Add

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. In the section you want to add a record to, click Quick Add.
3. Complete the fields. (See the instructions above for more information on completing the fields for specific zone records.)
4. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK.

In the Zone File Editor, you can delete DNS records you no longer want to use.

To Delete a Record

1. Go to the Zone File Editor for the domain name you want to update.
2. Select the record you want to delete, and then click Delete.
3. Click Save Zone File, and then click OK.

In the Zone File Editor, you can check your domain name's zone file records to make sure they are correct. The results display next to each zone file record. If one of the records is incorrect, you can fix it.

The Check Zone Records feature performs record-level validation checks. Specifically, it looks at your A records and ensures that your domain names, subdomains, and forwarded domain names have valid IP addresses. For example, if you create a subdomain with a missing IP address, the Zone File Errors window displays errors in the Status column and provides a Fix option.

To Check Your Domain Name's Zone File Records

1. Log in to your Account Manager.
2. Next to Domains, click Launch.
3. From the DNS menu, select DNS Manager.
4. For the domain name with the records you want to check, click Edit Zone.
5. From More, select Check Zone Records.

   NOTE: If your records do not contain errors, a Success message displays. If a record contains an error, click Fix to resolve the issue.

6. Review the zone file record results, and then click OK or Close.