Follow

How can I change the DNS records for my domain?

  • Applies to: All Service Types
    • Difficulty: Easy
    • Time: 10
    • Tools needed: Account Center access
Advanced Support can help!

If you're having trouble with the steps in this article, additional assistance is available via Advanced Support, our premium services division. For more information on what Advanced Support can do for you, please click here.

Overview

A zone file is a small set of instructions for resolving the specified Internet domain name to the appropriate number form of an Internet Protocol (IP) address. These instructions reside in a file on the server that administers the site.

This article explains how to edit your zone file hosted on the (mt) Media Temple nameservers, NS1.MEDIATEMPLE.NET and NS2.MEDIATEMPLE.NET.

 

Requirements

For your changes to be effective, you must have NS1.MEDIATEMPLE.NET and NS2.MEDIATEMPLE.NET designated as your nameservers with your registrar. See (mt) Media Temple's DNS/Nameserver information for more (mt) Media Temple nameserver details.

It is also possible to edit your zone file here, in anticipation of an upcoming change, to using (mt) Media Temple's nameservers even if you don't currently use them for your domain.

Check your current nameservers at Whois.net.

Video

Watch this video to learn how to add or edit your DNS records.

Instructions

NOTE:

Any changes to your DNS zone file will need to propagate across the Internet. As a general rule, we recommend to allow 24-48 hours for DNS propagation. Read below on how to lower your TTL value for a smooth transition.

  1. Sign into the Account Center.
  2. Click the domain you want to edit.

    p1.png
  3. Under DNS & ZONE FILES, click on Edit DNS Zone File.

    d-5.png
  4. Continue to the instructions below to see details on how to how to make your desired edits.

Instructions

  1. Sign in to the Account Center.

    • For Grid Personal, Pro, and Elite users: click on the blue ADMIN button associated to your Grid server.

      gp-1.png
    • Under SITES, click on the domain you wish to edit.

      gp-2.png
    • For (gs) Grid Service or Grid Lite users: click on the domain you wish to edit.

      g1.png
  2. Under DNS & ZONE FILES, click on Edit DNS Zone File.

    d-5.png
  3. Continue to the instructions below to see details on how to how to make your desired edits.
  1. Sign into the Account Center.
  2. Click the domain you want to edit.
    mwp-dns-domain.png
  3. Under DNS & ZONE FILES, click on Edit DNS Zone File.
    d-5.png
  4. Continue to the instructions below to see details on how to how to make your desired edits.

Instructions

NOTE:

Any changes to your DNS zone file will need to propagate across the Internet. As a general rule, we recommend to allow 24-48 hours for DNS propagation. Read below on how to lower your TTL value for a smooth transition.

  1. Sign in to the Account Center.
  2. Click on the blue ADMIN button associated to your WordPress server.

    wp-1.png
  3. Hover your cursor over the site slot you wish to access. Then click Manage.

    wp-2_2.png
  4. Click on Domains.

    wp-2.png
  5. Click on the MANAGE button associated to your domain.

    wp-3.png
  6. Under DNS & ZONE FILES, click on Edit DNS Zone File.

    d-5.png
  7. Continue to the instructions below to see details on how to how to make your desired edits.

Instructions

  1. Sign into the Account Center.
    • Click DOMAIN TOOLS to update your primary domain.
      shared-2.png
    • Click on your alternate domain.
      shared-3.png
  2. Under DNS & ZONE FILES, click on Edit DNS Zone File.
    d-5.png

Updating and adding records

  1. Click directly in one of the text fields of an existing record to change it or to add a new record, click the + ADD ROW button.

    acGRIDmainmenu_dnszone_edit_add_row
  2. Enter your information for the new record.

    • Name: Enter a subdomain of your domain or leave the box blank if you would like to edit your top-level domain. Example: store if you would like store.gs-example.com.

      d-1.png

    • Type: Choose one from the dropdown menu. A for an IP, CNAME for a domain, MX for mail.


      d-2.png

    • Data: Enter an IP address or domain name. Domain names must end with a period. MX records must also have a number before the domain, separated by a single space. 
      • MX example: 10 mail.example.com.

      d-3.png

  3. Click the SAVE CHANGES button to save your changes.

    acGRIDmainmenu_dnszone_edit_save

TXT records

TXT records are often used for domain ownership verification and to create Sender Policy Frameworks (SPF) for email security. 

The character limit for TXT records is 255. In some instances, you may need to exceed this character limit for a single record. In order to do this, divide the string into blocks that do not exceed 255 characters and concatenate them using quotes. 

  • Ex: "12..." "34..."

Below is a sample key for a DKIM TXT record that exceeds 255 character and instructions for adding it. 

Sample 2048 bit key that exceeds 255 characters:

MIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQEA4TWhAkE9cQBB7g2C6jGb
4jdiaShZEtWBkupXFtBdOdJTvrMTAEPIhZske9+bp/ILDYbWG0Tzw7DcmWoTPF+J
bNDH4mN8hSy1pPxyxsmvtFqr5bMlaWl42arkWR3Zzq9A/ReMcEfZ5avwP2JubH72
Bg0SP6NNfrUD9sAWtzOIAt1rT1UygohlB+2EdeHdWFN9neHHDN/hVzL82qufuMZ0
bOAHyn/kuT9hK0HkHc+vHTGIloPlhr6siNfmGwU/Lmv7d7uY/YFpvMvZrl90Fu77
5J7944VNMp6E7tGlJjlt01zDGa5QH1K1funRdrObLxxMgq0Z7RMx5GD5CHMS4tRn
eQIDAQAB

In order to enter the above key into the TXT field, divide it into multiple strings using quotation marks:

"MIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQEA4TWhAkE9cQBB7g2C6jGb
4jdiaShZEtWBkupXFtBdOdJTvrMTAEPIhZske9+bp/ILDYbWG0Tzw7DcmWoTPF+J
bNDH4mN8hSy1pPxyxsmvtFqr5bMlaWl42arkWR3Zzq9A/ReMcEfZ5avwP2JubH72"

"Bg0SP6NNfrUD9sAWtzOIAt1rT1UygohlB+2EdeHdWFN9neHHDN/hVzL82qufuMZ0
bOAHyn/kuT9hK0HkHc+vHTGIloPlhr6siNfmGwU/Lmv7d7uY/YFpvMvZrl90Fu77
5J7944VNMp6E7tGlJjlt01zDGa5QH1K1funRdrObLxxMgq0Z7RMx5GD5CHMS4tRn
eQIDAQAB"

Add both strings to the same data field of a TXT record. Do not include spaces between the strings. 

SRV records

For detailed instructions on how to create an SRV record for your domain, please see: How do I create an SRV record?

DNS lookup

To perform a DNS lookup to ensure you've entered the record correctly, you can use the dig command to look it up:


dig any _autodiscover._tcp.example.com

You should see a reply with information similar to the following:


;; ANSWER SECTION:
_autodiscover._tcp.example.com. 43200 IN SRV 0 5 80 webmail.example.com.

Reset to (mt) Media Temple default

This will point your site and email to your (mt) Media Temple server - it's the standard DNS configuration with which your domain is added.

  1. Follow the steps in the earlier section to access your zone file.
  2. Click REVERT ZONE and save.
    acGRIDmainmenu_dnszone_edit_revert

     

Need a smooth DNS transition? Lower your TTL.

Before you make any other type of DNS change, it's a good idea to consider whether you will need to lower your TTL. For more information and detailed instructions, please see: How can I lower or raise the TTL for my domain?

Need a copy of your DNS?

Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on EXPORT ZONE FILE. This will download a text copy of your DNS, should you ever need it as a backup.

d-4.png

Additional Resources

 

Was this article helpful?
0 out of 1 found this helpful

Comments