How do I use a domain's DNS Zone?

Procédure

Objective

The DNS zone of a domain name is used to link your domain to various services: a website, e-mail or external services.

In this article, you will learn :

• what the DNS zone is used for,
• what types of DNS records are most common,
• when to modify the DNS zone,
• how to access the appropriate procedure for your control panel.

This documentation is aimed at users with a domain managed on LWS hosting (LWS Panel, cPanel, Plesk or ISPConfig).

Before getting started

Before changing your domain's DNS zone, make sure that :

• you have access to your customer area or your control panel;
• you know the domain name concerned
• you have the information you need to enter (IP address, mail server, TXT value, etc.);
• you know what type of DNS record you need to modify.

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A DNS change can affect the operation of your website or emails. Always check the information you have entered before saving any changes.

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What is a domain's DNS zone?

The DNS zone contains information that tells the Internet where the services linked to your domain are located.

For example, it can be used to define :

• which server your website is located on
• which server receives your e-mails
• which external service your domain should be validated against.

Each piece of information is stored in a DNS record.

When someone enters your domain in a browser or sends an e-mail to your address, DNS servers consult these records to find out where to direct the request.

The main types of DNS record

Here are the most commonly used record types.

A record

This is used to point a domain or sub-domain to an IP address.

Example: mydomain.com → 192.0.2.10

This is generally used to connect a domain to a web server.

CNAME record

A CNAME is used to point a sub-domain to another domain name.

Example: blog.mydomain.com → mydomain.com

It is often used to connect a sub-domain to an external service (site builder, SaaS platform, etc.).

MX record

MX records indicate which server receives emails for your domain.

They are essential for using the e-mail addresses associated with your domain.

TXT record

A TXT record is used to add information in text form to the DNS zone.

It is often used to :

• check the ownership of a domain
• configure e-mail security (SPF, DKIM, etc.)
• connect certain external services

NS record

NS records indicate which DNS servers manage the domain's DNS zone.

Changing NS records allows you to delegate DNS management to another service.

When should I change the DNS zone?

You may need to change the DNS zone in various situations:

• connecting your domain to new web hosting
• configuring your domain's email
• connecting your domain to an external service
• add a sub-domain
• validate your domain with a third-party service

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If you are not sure what type of record to modify, consult the documentation provided by the service you wish to connect.

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How to change your domain's DNS zone

The method depends on the control panel that administers your domain.

Select the documentation corresponding to your environment:

• LWS Panel: Advanced DNS zone management on the LWS Panel
• cPanel: How to modify DNS records in cPanel
• Plesk: how to modify the DNS zone in Plesk
• ISPConfig: how to manage DNS records with ISPConfig

DNS propagation delay

After a DNS zone modification, the changes are not immediately visible.

In general :

• Changes may appear within a few minutes.
• but full propagation can take up to 24 to 48 hours.

This period depends on the DNS cache used by ISPs and DNS servers.

During this period, some users may see the old configuration, while others may already see the new one.

Check that the DNS change works

Once you have modified the DNS zone, you can check the result in several ways.

For a website

Check that your domain opens the correct website in your browser.

For emails

Send a test e-mail to your address to check that the messages have been received.

For domain validation

Go back to the service that requested the DNS change to check that the domain is validated.

Checking DNS propagation

You can also use an online tool to check the global propagation of your DNS change, for example :

• DNS Checker
• Google Admin Toolbox Dig

These tools allow you to see whether the new DNS records are visible on different servers around the world.

Common problems

The DNS change doesn't seem to be working.

Check :

• that the record added is correct
• that you have saved the modification
• that the propagation delay is not yet running.

DNS zone changes are not taken into account.

If your DNS zone changes don't seem to be working, check that you are changing the DNS zone in the right place.

Check that your domain is using LWS DNS servers. If this is not the case, the active DNS zone may be managed by another provider.

In this case, changes should be made directly on the control panel of the service that manages the domain's DNS (Cloudflare, OVH, o2switch, Hostinger, Wix, etc.).

If you modify the DNS zone in a panel that does not manage the domain's DNS, the changes will not be applied.

My website is no longer displayed

Check :

• the IP address entered in the A record
• that you have not deleted an existing record that is required.

Email no longer works.

Check :

• the MX records
• any TXT records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) linked to the emails

I don't know which panel manages the DNS zone.

DNS management depends on the service where your domain is configured.
If you're not sure, check your customer area or contact LWS support.

Conclusion

The DNS zone allows you to connect your domain to your website, your emails or various online services.

Before making any changes :

1. Identify the type of record to be modified.
2. Use the documentation for your control panel.
3. Then check that the change works correctly.

Remember that DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to be fully visible on the Internet.