Domain Delegation Improvements
Javier Acero
on
The DNSimple team is back at it with more improvements to your DNS and domain management. With this latest update to our product, we've made your domain delegation easier and more robust.
DNSimple supports multiple features that change the delegation of a domain, but some interactions between these features were leading to confusion — both for our customers and the team.
Now, we're simplifying these interactions. You'll no longer see Manual Secondary DNS as an option (RIP). Edit delegation (aka change name servers) is now set up to prevent errors, and Outbound Secondary DNS (aka Secondary DNS as Primary) and vanity name servers check the name servers the domain is delegating to to prevent breaking the domain's resolution.
Customers across all plans will notice the changes to Edit delegation and Secondary DNS. Changes to vanity name servers will only impact Enterprise customers using that feature.
Let's talk more about the issues around what was happening and why we prioritized these particular changes.
The issues
Manual Secondary DNS
We noticed this was being used as a way of changing a domain's name servers, but it wasn't intended to do that. This use case caused problems with domain resolution, and was complicating the evolution of Secondary DNS, so it was time to sunset this feature.
Edit delegation
Customers were changing the name servers without realizing it would break other features they had enabled, like Secondary DNS and/or vanity name servers.
This feature also allowed direct removal of Secondary name servers, which exacerbated the problem. If Secondary DNS name servers were removed while keeping Outbound Secondary DNS enabled, and Outbound was later turned off, the delegation would update to DNSimple, overwriting the customer's delegation settings completely.
Outbound Secondary DNS and vanity name servers
This feature changes the domain's delegation on your behalf. Unfortunately, the feature assumed the customer was using DNSimple's name servers. That meant if the customer was not using our name servers, the domain resolution would break after enabling or disabling Outbound Secondary DNS.
Solutions and improvements
To address these issues, we improved all the features listed above (or in the case of Manual Secondary DNS, removed it entirely).
Edit delegation
This feature now clearly identifies which name servers correspond to the Secondary DNS and/or vanity name servers feature. Those name servers cannot be removed from the delegation directly. You'll have to change your Outbound Secondary DNS and/or vanity name sever configuration instead. This prevents unintentionally breaking the setup. Read more in this support article.
We also introduced a handy Use DNSimple's Name Servers button, so you can easily delegate to our name servers, without having to manually enter ns1.dnsimple.com, ns2.dnsimple.com, etc.
Outbound Secondary DNS and vanity name servers
We made these features smarter: now they don't assume you just use our name servers. They check the name servers the domain is delegating to, and update the delegation using heuristics to minimize the chances of breaking the domain's resolution.
Less room for error
These improvements limit room for error in delegating your domains, and simplify the process to delegate to DNSimple's name servers. We'll also be continuing work throughout 2025 to further improve the product experience around delegation. If you have any questions about these improvements or how they impact your domain management, just contact support, and we'll be happy to help.
If you're managing a large number of domains and are interested in vanity name servers, along with multiple other features designed exclusively for enterprise-level customers, contact us to learn how DNSimple's Enterprise plan provides high performance, reliability, and security for your domains.
Not using DNSimple yet? Give us a try free for 30 days. Have more questions on how DNSimple makes your domain and DNS management easier than ever? Get in touch, we'd love to chat.
Javier Acero
Programmer. Minimalist. Apple fanboy. Currently having fun at DNSimple. I love coffee and my cat.
We think domain management should be easy.
That's why we continue building DNSimple.
