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Creating & Managing DNS Zones

Learn what a DNS zone is, how to create one, and what each default record does.

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Before your domain works on the internet — websites load, emails get delivered — you need a DNS zone. This zone is like the domain's address book, telling the internet how to find your website and where to deliver your email. This guide explains everything you need to know.

What is a DNS Zone?

A DNS zone is the complete set of DNS records for a domain. Think of it as a domain's address book. It contains all the instructions that tell the internet how to handle your domain — what IP address your website is on, where to send email, and more.

The Domain Name System (DNS) is often compared to a phonebook. When someone types example.com into their browser, DNS translates that human-friendly name into a machine-friendly IP address like 203.0.113.5. The DNS zone is the page in that phonebook dedicated to your domain.

Without a DNS zone, your domain simply will not work. If someone types your domain into a browser, their computer will not know where to find your website. If someone sends an email to info@yourdomain.com, the sending server will not know where to deliver it.

Automatic Zone Creation

In most cases, you do not need to manually create a DNS zone. When you add a web domain in Havenoro CP and check the Create DNS zone option, the zone is created automatically with all the standard records. This is the easiest and recommended approach for beginners.

The automatic zone includes:

  • An A record pointing your domain to your server's IP address
  • NS records pointing to Havenoro's nameservers
  • MX records for email delivery (if mail is enabled)
  • A TXT record with an SPF policy for email authentication

If this covers your needs, you can skip the manual steps below. If you need to create a zone separately — for example, if you deleted the zone and need to recreate it, or if you want to manage DNS before adding a website — follow the manual steps.

Manual Zone Creation

1

Go to the DNS tab

Click the DNS tab in the top navigation bar of Havenoro CP. You will see a list of any existing DNS zones.

2

Click "Add DNS Zone"

Click the Add DNS Zone button in the top right corner.

3

Enter your domain name

Type your full domain name (e.g., example.com). Do not include www. — that will be handled by a separate record later.

4

Choose a template

Select a DNS template. The default template is suitable for most users — it creates standard A, MX, and TXT records for a typical website with email hosted on Havenoro CP. Other templates exist for specific setups like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.

5

Click "Save"

Click Save in the top right corner. The DNS zone will be created and the DNS server (BIND) will start serving it immediately.

The Add DNS Zone form with template selection and advanced options for TTL, SOA, and DNSSEC.

Default Records Explained

When you create a DNS zone (either automatically or manually), several default records are created. Here is what each one does:

Record Type What it does Analogy
A Points your domain to your server's IPv4 address. This is the most fundamental record — without it, your domain will not load in a browser. The street address of your house. Without it, nobody knows where you live.
NS NS (Nameserver) records tell the internet which DNS servers are authoritative for your domain. When someone looks up your domain, they ask these servers for the correct records. The sign on your door saying "ask at this address for directions."
MX MX (Mail Exchange) records direct email for your domain to your mail server. Without MX records, sending servers will not know where to deliver email for @yourdomain.com addresses. The mailbox outside your house — it tells the postman where to put your mail.
TXT TXT records hold text information, most commonly used for email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). SPF records list which servers are allowed to send email for your domain. A note on your door telling delivery people who is authorized to leave packages.

DNS Propagation

When you create or change DNS records, the changes are not instant worldwide. DNS propagation is the time it takes for all DNS servers on the internet to update their cached copies of your records.

Think of it like changing your address with the post office. You update your address immediately, but it takes time for everyone who has your old address to update their records. During propagation, some visitors may still see the old information while others see the new information.

TTL Setting Typical Propagation Time
300 (5 minutes) 5–15 minutes
3600 (1 hour) 1–4 hours
14400 (4 hours) 4–24 hours
86400 (24 hours) 24–48 hours

TTL stands for Time To Live — it tells other DNS servers how long to cache (remember) your records before checking for updates. A shorter TTL means changes propagate faster, but it increases the load on your DNS server because more frequent checks are made.

Lower TTL before making changes If you plan to change your server IP or make other critical DNS changes, lower the TTL to 300 seconds (5 minutes) at least 24 hours before the change. This ensures that old cached records expire quickly once you make the update.
Wrong DNS configuration can break your website and email A single incorrect record can cause your website to stop loading, email delivery to fail, or visitors to be redirected to the wrong server. Always double-check your entries, especially for A, MX, and NS records. Use tools like dnschecker.org to verify your changes after saving.

Next Steps

Once your DNS zone is created, the next step is to add and manage individual DNS records:

  • Add records: Learn about each record type and when to use it in the DNS Records Guide.
  • Enable DNSSEC: Add a layer of security to your DNS with digital signatures. See the DNSSEC Setup tutorial.
  • Check propagation: Use whatsmydns.net to see if your DNS changes have propagated globally.
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