Please note: the information on this page applies to selected ITS web hosting plans. It may or may not apply to other environments. If you are looking for a feature described here, or better support from your hosting provider, please consider hosting your site with ITS!

Please note: you should only modify your domain's zone information if you understand how zone files work. Incorrect modification could result in your domain becoming inaccessible.

What is the Zone File Editor?

The Zone File Editor is a tool that will enable you to make changes to your zone file(s) online.  By using the Zone File Editor you can modify your A, CNAME, MX and NS records.

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How do I access the Zone File Editor?

There are two ways to access the Zone File Editor:

Option 1

  1. Open your website control panel:  www.domainname.com/stats/
  2. Enter in your User ID and Password.
  3. Click on Zone File Editor.
  4. The Zone File Editor window will appear.

Option 2

  1. In a browser, type in the following:  http://yourdomain.com/cgi-bin/secure/zone
  2. Enter in your User ID and Password.
  3. The Zone File Editor window will appear.

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How do I create an A record in my zone file?

Address, or "A" records, map the name of a machine to its numeric IP address. The record states the hostname and IP address of a specific machine.

  1. In the Zone File Editor enter in the domain name of the zone file that you wish to edit and click on Select Domain.
  2. You will see your current zone file displayed. If this is not the correct zone file, try entering in the domain name again and click on Select Domain.
  3. Check the Replace box.
  4. Enter the IP Address that you want your new A record such as abc.domainname.com. 
  5. From the Class Type drop down menu choose "A".
  6. Enter the machine name at your domain that you want your new A record to point. Be sure to include a "." at the end.
  7. Click Submit when completed.
  8. The Queue for Generation screen appears.
  9. Review the zone file and if it is correct click on Queue for Generation.

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How do I edit an MX record in my zone file?

MX records are "mail exchange" records.  These types of records tell mail servers where to deliver your mail, they also tell them which mail server to hand the mail off to.  That mail server must be configured to accept mail for your domain or your mail will be bounced.

  1. In the Zone File Editor enter in the domain name of the zone file that you wish to edit and click on Select Domain.
  2. You will see your current zone file displayed. If this is not the correct zone file, try entering in the domain name again and click on Select Domain.
  3. Check the Replace box.
  4. Enter your domain name in the first field, and in the field beneath it enter in your domain name with including the www.  Furthermore, it is very important to include a "." at the end of your domain name.
  5. From the Class Type  drop down menu select "MX".
  6. Enter the priority of this MX record, we generally use 50 followed by a space.  Next, enter in the name of the mail server that mail should be delivered to and include a ". " at the end of the entry in the field on the right.  For example:  50 mail.domainname.com.

    Note:  Only mail machine names can be entered in an MX record entry.  If your mail server has an IP Address, but no direct name which can be used to access it from the internet, you must create a machine name (A record) pointing to it, and configure your MX record to point to that machine name.
  7. Click Submit when completed.
  8. The Queue for Generation screen appears.
  9. Review the zone file and if it is correct click on Queue for Generation.

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How do I create a CNAME record in my zone file?

CNAMES are similar to A records, with the exception that instead of pointing to an IP Address, they point to another record, or machine name. On our system only CNAMES that point to machine names are defined within your zone file.

  1. In the Zone File Editor enter in the domain name of the zone file that you wish to edit and click on Select Domain.
  2. You will see your current zone file displayed. If this is not the correct zone file, try entering in the domain name again and click on Select Domain.
  3. Check the Replace box.
  4. Enter in the name of the physical machine name in the name field. It is very important to enter in the machine name and include a "." at the end of the machine name. For example my.domain.com CNAME ftp.mydomain.com.
  5. From the Class Type  drop down menu choose "CNAME".
  6. Enter the machine name at your domain that you want your new CNAME to point.  Be sure to include a "." at the end.
  7. Click Submit when completed.
  8. The Queue for Generation screen appears.
  9. Review the zone file and if it is correct click on Queue for Generation.

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How do I edit an NS record in my zone file?

NS records point to nameservers which contain DNS information about domains.

Note: This does not take the place of proper registration and transfer of domains. Contact Technical Support for assistance transferring your domain.

  1. In the Zone File Editor enter in the domain name of the zone file that you wish to edit and click on Select Domain.
  2. You will see your current zone file displayed. If this is not the correct zone file, try entering in the domain name again and click on Select Domain.
  3. Check the Replace box.
  4. Enter your domain name in the first field, and in the field beneath it your domain name with the www. preceding it, or enter the machine name for which you are creating a new NS record.  It is very important to include a "." at the end of your domain name.
  5. From the Class Type  drop down menu select "NS".
  6. Enter the nameserver that is authoritative for this domain in the field on the right.  Repeat this process for any and all nameservers to be listed.
  7. Click Submit when completed.
  8. The Queue for Generation screen appears.
  9. Review the zone file and if it is correct click on Queue for Generation .

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How many records can I add to my zone file?

You can currently add up to 8 records to your zone file.

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I made a mistake on the form, how do I make changes?

After you have submitted your form, the Queue for Generation window appears, review the zone file and click the Back button on your browser.  You can make the necessary changes and click submit once you are finished.

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Is there a charge for editing my zone file?

There are no charges associated with modifying or editing your zone file if you choose to use the Zone File Editor.  If you would like ITS to update your zone file for you, there is a $25 setup fee.

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How long will it take before my change becomes effective?

All changes should take effect within 24 hours, however, you may experience up to 4 days of propagation.  Propagation is the time it takes for all outdated DNS information and/or zone file content to be cleared from all name servers at all hosts/ISP's across the Internet.

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How do I contact the ITS Domain Services Team?

To contact ITS please use this form. Please include your domain name, User ID, and changes that you wish to make to your zone file.  Note that there is a $25 setup fee if you wish ITS to modify machine names for you.

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Glossary of Terms

A Record

Address, or "A" records, map the name of a machine to its numeric IP address. The record states the hostname and IP address of a certain machine.

CNAME

CNAMES are similar to A records, with the exception that instead of pointing to an IP Address, they point to another record, or machine name. On our system, only CNAMES which point to machine names defined within your zone file, this means as part of your domain, are permitted.

Domain Name

An address on the Internet, for example www.domainname.com.

IP Address

The IP address is a number that identifies each sender or receiver of information that is sent in packets across the Internet.  An example of an IP address for www.domainname.com is 123.45.123.45.

MX Record

MX records are "mail exchange" records.  These types of records tell mail servers where to deliver your mail, they also tell them which mail server to hand the mail off to.  That mail server must be configured to accept mail for your domain or your mail will be bounced.

NS

Name Server (NS) records are imperative to the proper functioning of DNS entries. NS records point to nameservers that contain DNS information about domains.

Propagation

Propagation is the time it takes for all outdated DNS information and/or zone file content to be cleared from all name servers at all hosts/ISP's across the Internet.

Zone File

The zone file is a configuration file for a domain.

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Please note: the information on this page applies to ITS web hosting plans. It may or may not apply to other environments. If you are looking for a feature described here, or better support from your hosting provider, please consider hosting your site with ITS!

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