Understanding DNS Query Usage

DNScale tracks your DNS query usage to help you understand your traffic patterns and manage your subscription effectively. This guide explains how to view your current and historical usage, understand excess volume charges, and optimise your plan.

Accessing Usage Information

Your DNS usage information is available in the dashboard under the Usage tab. To access it:

1. Log in to your DNScale dashboard
2. Click on the Usage tab in the main navigation
3. View your current month's usage summary and historical data

Usage Summary Card

The Usage Summary card displays your current billing period at a glance:

Key Metrics

• Total Queries -- The number of DNS queries received across all your zones this billing period
• Included Queries -- The query allowance included in your plan
• Usage Percentage -- How much of your included allowance you've used
• Remaining -- How many queries you have left before incurring excess volume charges

Status Indicators

The usage summary includes a status badge:

• Normal -- Usage below 75% of your included queries
• High Usage -- Usage between 75-90% of your included queries
• Near Limit -- Usage between 90-100% of your included queries
• Over Limit -- Usage exceeds your included queries (excess volume charges apply)

Excess Volume Explained

When your DNS query usage exceeds your plan's included allowance, you'll be charged for the additional queries at your plan's excess volume rate.

Excess Volume Rates by Plan

Note: The Nano Free tier does not include excess volume billing. If you exceed your 1 million query limit, consider upgrading to a paid plan.

How Excess Volume is Calculated

Excess volume charges are calculated at the end of each billing period:

1. Total queries for the month are summed across all zones
2. Included queries are subtracted from the total
3. Remaining queries (if positive) are the excess volume
4. Excess volume is multiplied by your plan's per-million rate

Example: If you're on the Nano plan and use 7.5 million queries:

• Included: 5 million
• Excess volume: 2.5 million
• Charge: 2.5 x €0.20 = €0.50

Excess Volume Alert

When excess volume is detected, an alert appears in your Usage Summary:

Excess Volume Detected You have used X queries above your included limit. Estimated excess volume charge: €X.XX

This helps you anticipate your bill before the end of the billing period.

What Counts as a Query?

Every DNS query that reaches DNScale's authoritative nameservers counts toward your usage. This includes:

• Successful lookups (NOERROR) for any record type -- A, AAAA, MX, TXT, etc.
• Non-existent domain responses (NXDOMAIN) -- queries for subdomains that don't have records
• DNSSEC-related queries -- DNSKEY, DS, and RRSIG lookups triggered by DNSSEC validation
• Health check queries -- monitoring systems that periodically query your records

Queries answered from resolver caches do not count. This is why TTL settings directly impact your query volume -- longer TTLs mean more cache hits and fewer queries reaching your authoritative servers.

A single page load can generate multiple DNS queries: one for the A record, one for the AAAA record, one for the HTTPS record, and potentially more for subdomains used by CDNs or APIs. Understanding this multiplier helps you forecast usage accurately.

Query Trends Chart

The Query Trends chart shows your daily query volume over time. Use this to:

• Identify traffic patterns and peak usage days
• Spot unusual spikes that might indicate DNS attacks or misconfigurations
• Plan capacity based on growth trends

You can hover over any day to see the exact query count.

Query Type Breakdown

The Query Types chart shows the distribution of DNS record types being queried:

This helps you understand what types of DNS queries your domains receive. A surge in TXT queries might indicate increased email verification lookups, while an unexpected spike in AAAA queries could reflect growing IPv6 adoption among your users.

Response Code Distribution

The Response Codes chart shows the outcome of DNS queries:

• NOERROR -- Successful queries with valid responses
• NXDOMAIN -- Queries for non-existent domains/records
• SERVFAIL -- Server failures (should be minimal)
• REFUSED -- Refused queries (policy-based rejections)

A healthy zone should have mostly NOERROR responses. High NXDOMAIN rates might indicate misconfigured clients, outdated references, or an NXDOMAIN attack. Elevated SERVFAIL rates could signal DNSSEC validation issues.

Usage by Zone

The Usage by Zone breakdown shows which zones consume the most queries. This helps you:

• Identify high-traffic zones that might need optimisation
• Understand traffic distribution across your domains
• Make informed decisions about zone-level caching or TTL settings

Billing History

The Billing History table shows your monthly usage and charges:

Viewing Past Months

By default, the last 12 months of billing history are displayed. Use the pagination to view older records if needed.

Pro-Rated Billing

If you signed up or changed plans mid-month, your usage may be pro-rated:

• Days Active -- Days your account was active during the billing period
• Days in Month -- Total days in the billing month
• Included Queries -- Adjusted proportionally based on active days

For example, if you sign up on the 15th of a 30-day month on the Nano plan:

• Standard monthly allowance: 5 million queries
• Pro-rated allowance: 2.5 million queries (15/30 x 5M)

API Access to Usage Data

You can also retrieve usage data programmatically via the DNScale API:

Current Month Usage

GET /v1/usage/current

Usage Summary for Specific Month

GET /v1/usage/summary?month=2024-11

Daily Usage Statistics

GET /v1/usage/daily?start_date=2024-11-01&end_date=2024-11-30

Zone-Specific Usage

GET /v1/zones/{zone_id}/usage?start_date=2024-11-01&end_date=2024-11-30

Billing History

GET /v1/billing/history?limit=12

For API access, create an API key with the usage:read and billing:read scopes. You can also integrate this data into infrastructure-as-code workflows using the Terraform provider or DNSControl.

Tips for Managing Usage

Optimise TTL Values

Higher TTL values reduce the number of queries by allowing clients to cache responses longer. See our TTL best practices guide for recommended values:

Monitor Traffic Patterns

Regular monitoring helps you:

• Identify unexpected traffic spikes early
• Detect potential abuse or attacks
• Plan for capacity needs before hitting limits

Choose the Right Plan

If you consistently hit your query limits, consider upgrading. See our plans comparison for details:

• Nano to Pro: 5x more queries at a lower excess volume rate
• Pro to Scale: 10x more queries for high-traffic needs

It's often more cost-effective to upgrade than pay consistent excess volume charges.

Need Help?

If you have questions about your usage or billing:

• Check the Support page for contact options
• Review your usage trends in the dashboard
• Learn how to update your payment method if needed
• Consider upgrading if you're consistently near your limits

Conclusion

Understanding your DNS query usage helps you manage costs and ensure reliable DNS resolution for your domains. The DNScale dashboard provides comprehensive visibility into current and historical usage, making it easy to optimise your configuration and choose the right plan for your needs.