Key facts
- Set-up and changes at £45 an hour + VAT
- Included with dijihost Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT
- A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, CAA and SRV records handled
- SPF, DKIM and DMARC published for every service that sends your email
- TTL lowered before planned changes so switches happen faster
- DNSSEC enabled and kept in step with your registrar
- We manage DNS in Cloudflare
What DNS management actually covers
Your domain name does nothing on its own. The DNS records attached to it tell the internet where your website lives, which servers accept your email, and which outside services are allowed to act for you. Every time you change web developer, add a booking system, sign up to a newsletter tool or move to Microsoft 365, something in DNS has to change.
DNS management is the job of making those changes correctly, at the right time, without breaking what already works. It also means keeping a record of what each entry is for, so nobody deletes a TXT record in two years' time because they do not recognise it.
The records we look after
| Record | What it does |
|---|---|
| A / AAAA | Points a name at an IPv4 or IPv6 address, usually your web server |
| CNAME | Makes one name an alias of another, often used for www and third-party services |
| MX | Names the servers that accept your email, in priority order |
| TXT | Holds SPF, DKIM, DMARC and ownership verification strings |
| CAA | Limits which certificate authorities may issue SSL certificates for the domain |
| SRV | Advertises a service with its port, priority and weight |
| NS | Names the nameservers that answer for the domain or a delegated subdomain |
For the detail on each type, read DNS records explained.
Nameservers, TTL and timing
The nameservers set at your registrar decide which DNS provider answers for your domain. Records edited anywhere else are ignored, which is the cause of a surprising number of "I changed it but nothing happened" calls. We check where your domain really points before touching anything.
Each record carries a TTL (time to live) in seconds, which tells other servers how long to cache the answer. Before a planned switch we lower the TTL, for example to 300, a day or two ahead, so the change is picked up quickly. Nameserver changes are slower and can take up to 24 to 48 hours to be seen everywhere.
Specific DNS jobs
Most requests fall into one of these, each with its own page:
- Cloudflare DNS management for zones already on Cloudflare
- Cloudflare setup to move a domain onto Cloudflare in the first place
- DNS hosting, where we run the authoritative DNS for you
- DNS migration between providers without losing web or email
- MX records setup for a new or changed email provider
- SPF, DKIM and DMARC records so receivers trust your mail
- DNSSEC to sign your DNS answers
- Subdomain setup for shops, portals and staging sites
- DNS troubleshooting when something has stopped resolving
How dijitul helps
On its own, DNS work is £45 an hour + VAT. Most single changes take well under an hour, and bigger moves can have a fixed quote instead. We tell you what we are changing before we change it, and we keep a note of what each record is for.
If we also host your website, DNS management is included with dijihost Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT. Your domain itself is registered and renewed in the dijitul client portal. To get started, contact us, call 01623 650333 or ask for a quote.
How it works and what it costs
Domains are priced live in the client portal. DNS management and 10 mailboxes are included with dijihost Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT. On their own, DNS and email set-up is £45 an hour + VAT or a fixed quote.
Tell us what you have
Your domains, who they are registered with, where your DNS and email live today, and what you want to change.
Plan the change
We list every DNS record and mailbox first, so nothing is forgotten, and agree a time to switch.
Make the switch
Transfers, nameserver changes, DNS records and mailbox moves, done carefully with low TTLs and a rollback plan.
Check it works
We test the website, email delivery, SPF, DKIM and DMARC from the outside before calling it done.
Look after it
Renewals, records and email stay looked after, and you can call a person when something changes.
Frequently asked questions
What is DNS management?
DNS management is maintaining the records that connect your domain to your website, email and other services. It covers adding records for new services, updating them when providers change, removing old entries safely and checking that email authentication records such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC stay correct.
How much does DNS management cost?
dijitul charges £45 an hour + VAT for DNS set-up and changes, or a fixed quote for larger moves. DNS management is included at no extra cost with dijihost Complete Hosting, which is £1 a day + VAT. Most single record changes take well under an hour.
Where are my DNS records actually kept?
They are kept by whichever provider your nameservers point to. That might be your registrar, your old web host or Cloudflare. Changing a record anywhere else has no effect. You can see your current nameservers with a DNS lookup tool, or we can check for you.
Why did my DNS change not show up straight away?
Other servers cache DNS answers for the length of the record's TTL. Until that time runs out, some visitors still see the old value. Nameserver changes can take up to 24 to 48 hours. Lowering the TTL a day or two before a planned change shortens the wait.
Do I need to give you access to my registrar?
Only if the job touches nameservers, glue records or DNSSEC DS records, which are set at the registrar. Ordinary record changes are made at the DNS provider. If your domain is in the dijitul client portal, we can handle both without extra logins.
Can you manage DNS if you do not host my website?
Yes. Many clients keep their website elsewhere and use us only for DNS. We charge £45 an hour + VAT for set-up and changes, and we work with your web developer and email provider so the right records are in place.
Related
Get domains, DNS and email sorted
Set up properly, records checked, and real people to call. DNS and email are included with dijihost hosting.