Zone Import Methods

When creating a new DNS zone in DNScale, you have several options for importing your existing records. Whether you're migrating from another provider or starting fresh, dnscale makes it easy to get your DNS configuration set up quickly.

Import Methods Overview

DNScale supports four methods for creating and populating DNS zones:

1. Manual Creation – Start with an empty zone and add records individually
2. BIND Zone File Import – Upload a standard BIND format zone file
3. Provider Import – Connect directly to Cloudflare or AWS Route 53
4. DNS Discovery – Automatically discover records from live DNS

Manual Zone Creation

The simplest option is to create an empty zone and add records manually through the dashboard. This is ideal for:

• New domains without existing DNS records
• Small zones with just a few records
• Testing and development environments

Simply enter your domain name, select your region, and start adding records one by one.

BIND Zone File Import

If you have a BIND-format zone file export from your current DNS provider, you can import it directly. BIND format is the industry standard supported by most DNS providers.

Supported Record Types

• A, AAAA (IPv4 and IPv6 addresses)
• CNAME (canonical names)
• MX (mail servers with priority)
• TXT (text records including SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
• NS (nameserver delegation)
• SRV (service records)
• CAA (certificate authority authorisation)
• PTR (reverse DNS)

Example BIND Format

$ORIGIN example.com.
$TTL 3600
 
@       IN  A       93.184.216.34
@       IN  AAAA    2606:2800:220:1:248:1893:25c8:1946
@       IN  MX  10  mail.example.com.
www     IN  CNAME   example.com.
mail    IN  A       93.184.216.35
@       IN  TXT     "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all"

How to Export from Common Providers

Most DNS providers offer zone file export:

• cPanel/WHM: DNS Zone Editor → Export Zone File
• Plesk: DNS Settings → Export
• BIND servers: Copy the zone file from /var/named/ or /etc/bind/zones/

Provider Import

Connect directly to your existing DNS provider to import zones and records automatically. This is the fastest way to migrate when you have API access.

Cloudflare

To import from Cloudflare, you need an API token with the following permissions:

• Zone:Read – Required to list your zones
• DNS:Read – Required to read DNS records

Creating a Cloudflare API Token

1. Go to dash.cloudflare.com/profile/api-tokens
2. Click "Create Token"
3. Use the "Custom token" template
4. Add permissions:
   • Zone → Zone → Read
   • Zone → DNS → Read
5. Set zone resources (All zones or specific zones)
6. Create token and copy it

Once connected, you'll see all your Cloudflare zones and can select which ones to import.

Amazon Route 53

To import from AWS Route 53, you need IAM credentials with the following permissions:

• route53:ListHostedZones – Required to list hosted zones
• route53:ListResourceRecordSets – Required to read DNS records

Required IAM Policy

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": [
        "route53:ListHostedZones",
        "route53:ListResourceRecordSets"
      ],
      "Resource": "*"
    }
  ]
}

Creating AWS Access Keys

1. Go to IAM Console
2. Create a new user or use an existing one
3. Attach the policy above
4. Generate access keys under Security credentials

Provide the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key to import your Route 53 zones.

DNS Discovery

DNS Discovery automatically queries the live DNS for a domain and discovers existing records. This is useful when:

• You don't have access to export zone files
• You want to verify what's currently published
• You're taking over management of an existing domain

How It Works

1. Enter the domain name you want to discover
2. dnscale queries the authoritative nameservers
3. Common record types are probed automatically
4. Discovered records are presented for review
5. Select which records to import

Discovered Record Types

DNS Discovery checks for:

• A and AAAA records (root and common subdomains)
• MX records (mail servers)
• TXT records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, verification)
• NS records (nameservers)
• CNAME records (common aliases like www, mail, ftp)
• CAA records (certificate authority restrictions)

Limitations

DNS Discovery can only find records that are publicly resolvable. It may not discover:

• Internal/private records
• Wildcard records (unless specifically queried)
• Records for subdomains not in the common list
• Records with very short TTLs that have expired

For complete migrations, use BIND file import or provider import when possible.

Choosing the Right Method

After Import

Once your zone is imported:

1. Review records – Check that all records imported correctly
2. Update nameservers – Point your domain to dnscale nameservers
3. Verify propagation – Use DNS lookup tools to confirm changes
4. Monitor – Check the dashboard for any resolution issues

Conclusion

DNScale provides flexible options for creating and importing DNS zones. Whether you're starting fresh, migrating from another provider, or discovering existing records, you can get your DNS set up quickly and reliably.