Zone Editor
Overview
The Zone Editor feature allows you to create, edit, and delete Domain Name System (DNS) zone records. DNS converts human-readable domain names (for example,
example.com) to computer-readable IP addresses (for example, 192.0.0.1). DNS relies on zone records that exist on your server to map domain names to IP addresses.Domains
By default, the Zone Editor interface displays a list of your domains and their DNS zone records. To filter the list, enter a name in the text box or select an available record type filter.
For each listed domain you can perform the following actions:
A Record
Create a new A record . When you select this record type, a new window will appear. Enter a valid DNS zone name in the Name text box and a valid IPv4 address in the Address text box. Click Add An A Record to save your changes.
CNAME Record
Create a new CNAME record. When you select this record type, a new window will appear. Enter a valid DNS zone name in the Name text box and a FQDN in the CNAME text box. Click Add A CNAME Record to save your changes.
MX Record
Create a new MX record . When you select this record type, a new window will appear. Enter the record’s priority value in the Priority text box and a FQDN in the Destination text box. Click Add An MX Record to save your changes.
DNSSEC
Manage the domain’s Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) records. When you select this record type, the system directs you to the DNSSEC interface.
Manage
Add or edit additional domain records. When you click Manage, the system directs you to the Manage Zone interface.
To refresh the list of domains, click the gear icon and select Refresh List.
Manage Zone
The Manage Zone interface displays the DNS zone records for the selected domain. To filter the list, enter a name in the text box or select an available record type filter.
The record table contains the following information for each record:
Name
The record’s name.
TTL
The record’s Time to Live (TTL).
Record
The record’s information.
You can also use this interface to:
- Add or edit one or more DNS zone records.
- Delete a DNS zone record.
- Reset the zone files .
Important:
To access all available zone record types and records that the system automatically generated, your hosting provider must enable the following features in WHM’s Feature Manager interface (WHM » Home » Packages » Feature Manager):
Zone Editor (A, CNAME)
Zone Editor (AAAA, CAA, SRV, TXT)
Add a DNS zone record
To add a record, perform the following steps:
.1Click Manage for the domain that you want to modify. A new interface will appear.
.2Click Add Record. You can also click the arrow icon (
Note:
To add records for a subdomain, use prefix notation. For example, to add a CNAME record for
example.com/prefix, enter prefix.example.com. into the Name text box.To add multiple records, click Add Record multiple times or select the desired record types from the list. The system adds the new records to the top of the table.
.3Enter the record’s information.
.4Click Save Record or Save All Records, or click Cancel.
Edit a DNS zone record
To edit a record, perform the following steps:
.1Click Manage for the domain that you want to modify. A new interface will appear.
.2Click Edit next to the record or records that you want to edit.
.3Update the information in the text boxes.
Note:If you change an existing record’s Type value , the system preserves the current record’s data until you save your changes.
.4Click Save Record or Save All Records to save your changes, or click Cancel.
DNS zone record types
When you add or edit a DNS zone record, you can select from the following record types:
A
IPv4 Address Record — This record maps hostnames to IPv4 addresses. These records allow DNS servers to identify and locate your website and its various services on the internet. Without appropriate A records, your visitors cannot access your website, FTP site, or email accounts. You can set the following values:
Name
A new or existing DNS zone name. When you enter a zone name, the system automatically appends the domain name to the zone record. For example, if you create the
user zone, the system will add the example.com. domain information.Address
Enter the domain’s IP address.
AAAA
IPv6 Address Record — This record is the same as an A record, but maps hostnames to IPv6 addresses.
ALIAS
Warning:
This record type is only available on systems that run PowerDNS.
This record type is experimental, not RFC-compliant, and may cause unexpected behavior. This includes security issues, breaking DNSSEC, and site inaccessibility.
We strongly recommend that you do not use this record type.
Alias Name Record — This record creates an alias to another domain name, including external domains. This record can create an alias for any domain name, including the zone apex. This record is also known as an ANAME record. You can set the following values:
Name
A new or existing DNS zone name alias.
Record
Enter a fully qualified domain name (FQDN). For example, the
example.com domain. You cannot point an ALIAS record to an IP address.This record type is only available if your system administrator enabled access for it. For more information about ALIAS records, read our The ALIAS DNS Record documentation.
CAA
Certificate Authority Authorization Record — This record controls which certificate authorities (CA) can issue SSL certificates for a domain.
Note:
If no CAA records exist for a domain, all CAs can issue certificates for that domain. If conflicting CAA records already exist, remove the existing CAA records or add one for the desired CA.
MyDNS does not support this record type.
You can set the following values:
Issuer Critical Flag
Whether the CA will issue an SSL certificate if the CAA Resource Record contains unknown property tags. For more information about CAA record flags, read the RFC 6844 documentation.
- 0 — Non-critical. The CA will issue an SSL certificate if the CAA Resource Record contains unknown property tags.
- 1 — Critical. The CA will not issue an SSL certificate if the CAA Resource Record contains unknown property tags.
Tag
The CAA record’s property type:
- issue — Authorize a CA to issue a certificate for the domain.
- issuewild — Authorize a CA to issue a wildcard certificate for the domain.
- iodef — Specify a URL to which a CA may report policy violations.
Value
The CA’s domain, or the CA’s URL if you select the iodef setting in the Tag section.
CNAME
Canonical Name Record — This record creates an alias for another domain name, which DNS resolves. This is useful, for example, if you point multiple CNAME records to a single A record in order to simplify DNS maintenance. You can set the following values:
Name
A new or existing DNS zone name. When you enter a zone name, the system automatically appends the domain name to the zone record. For example, if you create the
user zone, the system will add the example.com. domain information.Record
Enter a fully qualified domain name (FQDN). For example, the
example2.com domain. You cannot point a CNAME record to an IP address.DMARC
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance — This record indicates the action for a mail server to take when it receives an email from this domain, but that message fails Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) checks.
When you select this option, the system creates a TXT record with a default DMARC record. The system also displays a form that allows you to define the domain’s DMARC Policy (None, Quarantine, or Reject), as well as the following optional parameters:
Subdomain Policy
The action the mail server will take when it receives an email from the domain’s subdomain. The server only takes this action if the email fails its SPF and DKIM checks.
- None — Do not take any action.
- Quarantine — Send spam email to a different folder on the account.
- Reject — Reject spam email.
DKIM Mode
The DKIM level that the server enforces for the domain. An email must have a valid DKIM signature. The server will check a DKIM signature against the email’s
From: domain entry. You can set the following identifier alignment settings:- Relaxed — Only the organizational domains must match. For example, an email from the
domain.example.comsubdomain ofexample.comwould pass the DKIM check. - Strict — The domains must match exactly. For example, the server will accept email from the
example.comdomain, but it would reject email from thedomain.example.comsubdomain.
SPF Mode
The SPF level that the server will enforce for the domain. The server sending email must pass SPF authorization. The server checks the server sending an email with the SMTP
MAIL FROM command. The server then checks the MAIL FROM domain entry against the email’s From: domain entry. You can set the following identifier alignment settings:- Relaxed — Only the organizational domains must match. For example, an email from the
domain.example.comsubdomain ofexample.comwould pass the SPF check. - Strict — The domains must match exactly. For example, the server will only accept email if the domain is
example.com. It would reject an email from thedomain.example.comdomain.
Percentage
The percentage of emails that you want the server to filter.
Generate Failure Reports When
The error reporting policy between the sender and receiver’s Mail Transfer Agents.
Report Format
The format that the server uses to report an email’s possible spam status.
Report Interval
The amount of time, in seconds, that elapse between each aggregate email report. This parameter’s value defaults to
86400. This value does not include email failure messages.Send Aggregate Mail Reports To
A comma-separated list of Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) to which to send the aggregate email reports. If your URI includes a comma, you must URI-encode the comma. To add a size limit for the report, include an exclamation point, a number, and a file size unit to the end of the URI. For example:
mailto:reports@example.com!50m. You can specify the following file size units:k— Kilobytes.m— Megabytes.g— Gigabytes.t— Terabytes.
Send Failure Reports To
A comma-separated list of URIs to which to send failure email reports.
MX
Mail Exchanger — This record identifies the servers that handle a domain’s email. Changes that you make to this record control where the server delivers a domain’s email. You can set the following values:
Priority
Identifies the servers that handle a domain’s email. This value for each MX record determines the order in which other mail servers will use the domain’s mail server. A lower value indicates a higher priority level. A value of
0 indicates the highest priority level.Destination
The mail server. This must be a fully qualified domain name (FQDN).
SRV
Service Record — This record provides data about available services on specific ports on your server. You can set the following values:
Priority
The service record’s priority value. A lower value indicates a higher priority level. A value of
0 indicates the highest priority level.Weight
This value ranks entries that share the same Priority value. For example, a record with a
0 priority level and an 8 weight value will rank lower than a record with a 0 priority level and 4 weight value.Port
The service’s target port number.
Target
The service’s target hostname.
TXT
Text Record — This record contains text data for various services to read. For example, TXT records can specify data for SPF, DKIM, or DMARC email authentication. You can use WHM’s Email Deliverability interface (cPanel » Home » Email » Email Deliverability) to manage your server’s SPF and DKIM records.
Important:
The Record text box will accept invalid data. Make certain you enter the correct record information.
Delete a DNS zone record
To delete a record, perform the following steps:
.1Click Manage next to the domain you want to modify. A new interface will appear.
.2Click Delete next to the record that you want to remove.
.3Click Continue in the confirmation dialog box to delete the record, or click Cancel.
Reset zone files
Important:
This function erases any modifications that you made to your zone records. The system attempts to save the domain’s TXT entries. We recommend that you record any changes that you want to save before you use this feature.
To reset your DNS zone files, your systems administrator must enable the following features in WHM’s Feature Manager interface (WHM » Home » Packages » Feature Manager):
Zone Editor (A, CNAME)
Zone Editor (AAAA, CAA, SRV, TXT)
To reset your DNS zone files to the defaults that your hosting provider specifies, perform the following steps:
.1Click Manage next to the domain that you want to reset. A new interface will appear.
.2Click Actions and select Reset DNS Zone.
.3Click Continue to reset your zone, or click Cancel.
DNSSEC
The DNSSEC interface lets you manage your domain’s DNSSEC keys. DNSSEC can help to protect you from various forms of attack, such as spoofing or a man-in-the-middle attack. A DNS resolver will compare the DNS server’s DNSKEY record to the Delegation Signer (DS) record at your domain’s registrar. If the records match, then the DNS resolver knows that the record is valid.
DNSSEC uses digital signatures to strengthen DNS authentication. These digital signatures use public key cryptography to sign the DNS data. However, these digital signatures do not sign the DNS queries and responses.
Important:
If you transfer the account to another server, you must remove the DS records from the registrar before you transfer the domain. If you do not remove the old DS records from the registrar, the domains may produce DNS resolution issues due to invalid DNSSEC responses.
To transfer an account with DNSSEC-enabled domains, perform the following steps for each domain:
Remove the DS records from the registrar.
Wait for the changes to propagate. This may take up to 72 hours.
Perform the transfer.
Manually update the registrar with the new DS records.
DNSSEC Keys table
Important:
he DNSSEC interface displays a table that lists the following information:
You can also perform the following actions for each DNSSEC key:
Create Key
Important:
When you create a domain’s DNSSEC key you must also configure a DS record with your domain registrar .
The Create Key function lets you create a new DNSSEC key. You can select whether to create a system-generated key or create a customized DNSSEC key:
Quick DNSSEC key creation
To quickly create a DNSSEC key, perform the following steps:
.1Click Create Key. A confirmation interface will appear.
.2Click Create. The DS Records interface will appear with the new DNSSEC key’s details.
Custom DNSSEC key creation
If you want to create a customized key with a stronger algorithm, perform the following steps:
.1Click Create. A confirmation window will appear.
.2Click Customize. The Generate interface will appear.
.3Select the desired key setup for the DNSSEC key:
- Classic — Creates a ZSK and a KSK.
- Simple — Creates a CSK, which the system will use as both the ZSK and KSK.
.4Select the desired algorithm from the Algorithm menu.
Note:The interface disables incompatible algorithms.
.5Select whether to activate the newly-generated key.
.6Click Create Key. The DS Records interface will appear with the new DNSSEC key’s details.
Import a DNSSEC key
The Import interface lets you import an existing DNSSEC key. To import a DNSSEC key for a domain, perform the following steps:
.1Click Import Key. The Import interface will appear.
.2Select the key type that you want to import:
- ZSK — Zone Signing Key.
- KSK — Key Signing Key.
.3Enter the key information in the Key text box.
.4Click Import.
Export a DNSSEC key
The Export interface provides the information you need to export a DNSSEC key. This interface displays the following details about a domain’s DNSSEC key:
Domain
The domain in the DNS record.
Key Tag
An integer value that identifies the domain’s DNSSEC record.
Key Type
Whether the key is ZSK, CSK, or KSK.
Key
The DNSSEC key. Click Copy to copy the key to your computer’s clipboard.
Public DNSKEY
The Public DNSSEKY interface lets you view a public DNSKEY record’s details. This interface displays the following information:
Domain
The domain in the DNS record.
Public DNSKEY
The public DNSKEY record.
DS Records
When you click View DS Records for a key, the DS Records interface will appear. This interface displays the following DNSSEC key information:
Domain
The domain in the DNS record.
Key Tag
An integer value that identifies the domain’s DNSSEC record.
Algorithm
The algorithm type that constructs the digest.
Created
The key’s creation date.
Digests
A list of available digests. The interface displays each digest’s algorithm type (Digest Type) and algorithm information (Digest).
You can use this information to add a DS record to your domain’s registrar . To do so, perform the following steps:
.1Determine the Digest Type that your registrar uses.
.2Click Copy for the appropriate Digest record.
.3Go to your registrar’s website and add the information that they request for your domain.
Delete a DNSSEC key
Important:
Before you delete the domain’s DNSSEC key in cPanel & WHM, you must remove or disable the DS with your domain registrar . After editing the DS record, wait at least 24 hours for the changes to propagate. Once the changes propagate, you may delete the DNSSEC key in cPanel & WHM.
To delete a DNSSEC key, perform the following steps:
.1Click Delete next to the appropriate record.
.2Click Continue to confirm that you want to delete the security record.
Domain registrar DS records
Any time you create, modify, or remove a domain’s DNSSEC key, you must update your Delegation Signer (DS) record with your domain registrar. The following are some of the most popular domain registrars. Visit their website to read their DNSSEC management documentation: