Faster DNS Updates to Speed Up Website Launches

Yes. The Domain Name System (DNS) is what allows people to reach your site via its domain name. It is the mechanism that converts an address like www.example.com into the IP address a browser needs to find the right web server.

Even with a hosting server in good working order, you will not be able to serve visitors if your DNS is not set up correctly. On top of that, DNS is involved in email delivery, subdomains, and domain verification.

For those using Cloudways, the DNS Made Easy add-on is a convenient way to handle your DNS records from within the platform itself, so there is no need to rely on a different DNS provider’s dashboard.

An IP address is the numerical identifier for a server or device on a network. DNS, on the other hand, is what converts domain names into those IP numbers. Take www.example.com as an instance: when that is put into a browser, it is DNS that locates the server’s IP so the connection to the site can be made.

Using Cloudways DNS Made Easy allows you to set up the necessary DNS records to steer traffic where it needs to go. This includes configuring A and AAAA records for IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, respectively.

One should look for a DNS provider with reliable uptime, quick resolution times, and a global footprint, as well as an interface that makes record management straightforward. Equally important are transparent pricing, the ability to set custom TTLs, and support for the necessary DNS record types.

In the case of Cloudways-hosted sites, DNS Made Easy is a good option. The service is integrated for DNS management and comes with monitoring for query usage on top of its worldwide infrastructure. It is well-suited to the needs of agencies, developers, and other businesses using Cloudways because it has predefined DNS templates for Rackspace and Elastic Email.

DNS Made Easy is a managed DNS hosting service that enables browsers and other services to find their way to websites and other online assets via DNS resolution.

With the Cloudways DNS Made Easy add-on, you can handle all of this from the Cloudways platform: managing domains, setting up nameservers, creating DNS records, and monitoring query usage.

If a visitor comes to your site and the information is not in the cache, their resolver will go to the authoritative nameservers at DNS Made Easy to get what it needs. The service is backed by globally distributed infrastructure and is capable of handling A, AAAA, ANAME, CNAME, MX, TXT, CAA, and SRV record types.

The primary advantage of DNS is that it puts websites and online services within easy reach, doing the work of converting domain names to IP addresses. There are other practical benefits as well:

• Website accessibility: No need for a visitor to remember an IP address to access a site.
• Hosting flexibility: You can change server IP addresses while the domain name stays the same.
• Email routing: MX records are used to direct incoming mail.
• Subdomain support: Link subdomains to separate applications or sites.
• Domain verification: DNS records are used to authenticate email and verify services.

With Cloudways DNS Made Easy, you can bring all these functions to work while also having the benefit of a globally distributed infrastructure and the convenience of managing DNS records from a single point of control.

Cloudways DNS Made Easy offers per-domain pricing with an included monthly DNS query allowance.

DNS queries are counted at the account level. For example, five domains include a combined allowance of 2,500,000 queries per month.

If you exceed your included allowance, additional queries are billed without throttling DNS traffic. You can monitor query usage directly from Cloudways.

You can create DNS records directly from Cloudways using the DNS Made Easy add-on. Follow these steps:

1. Go to Integrations and then to DNS Made Easy.

2. Once you have located your domain, press the ⋮ (ellipsis) icon.

3. From there, pick Manage Records and then Add Record.

4. Pick the type of record you need, be it an A, AAAA, ANAME, CAA, CNAME, MX, SRV, or TXT.

5. Fill in the necessary details for that record type, making sure to include the TTL where relevant.

6. Click Save Changes to finalize the record.

For any new records to be effective, your domain has to be set up with DNS Made Easy and its nameservers already in place. If you want more in-depth guidance, the DNS Made Easy activation guide is available.

When DNS becomes unavailable, visitors may experience connection errors even if the hosting server is running normally. DNS outages can also disrupt email delivery, application connectivity, and online transactions.

Cloudways DNS Made Easy uses globally distributed DNS infrastructure designed for high availability, helping reduce the risk of DNS-related interruptions.

You can check DNS resolution using nslookup example.com on Windows or dig example.com on macOS and Linux. Online tools like WhatsMyDNS also help verify DNS records across different locations.

With Cloudways DNS Made Easy, check your domain's Active status and configured records from the Cloudways platform. Use a DNS lookup tool to confirm that records resolve to the expected server addresses.

With Cloudways DNS Made Easy, you can update DNS settings directly from the Cloudways platform. Navigate to Integrations > DNS Made Easy, click the ⋮ (ellipsis) icon next to your domain, and select Manage Records. Choose Edit Record, update the values, and click Save Changes.

If you're moving your domain to DNS Made Easy, first add it to the add-on, then update its nameservers with your registrar. DNS changes may take 24-48 hours to propagate across the network.

TTL (Time to Live) determines how long DNS resolvers can cache a record before checking for updates. Lower TTL values can make changes visible sooner but may increase DNS query volume.

Instant propagation means record changes are applied immediately across DNS Made Easy's authoritative nameservers. However, DNS caching can delay their visibility across the network.

With Cloudways DNS Made Easy, you can customize TTL settings to control DNS caching behavior.