On the NS1 Connect platform, you can create several different types of records with a zone. Records map a URL to an IP address. Each record contains a specific set of data that helps navigate DNS traffic. For example, when a user searches for a URL in a web browser, the URL is forwarded to the DNS servers and then directed to a specific web server based on the information in the DNS record.
A record is a basic unit of information in the DNS — identified by a domain name and a record type (such as A, AAAA, MX, NS, etc.) which indicates the nature of the information contained in the record. The record configuration specifies TTL values, the associated answers (e.g., server IP addresses, mail hosts, etc.), and other details based on the record type. The most common record types are A (address), CNAME (canonical name), MX (mail exchange), NS (name server), PTR (pointer), SOA (start of authority), and TXT (text record).
Note
When you create a new zone, an NS record is automatically created within the zone. The NS record contains one or more answers — each corresponding to the assigned nameservers within the relevant DNS network. If you do not select a network during zone creation (i.e., if you leave the zone "unpublished"), then an empty NS record is created within the zone.
Follow the instructions below to create a new DNS record on the NS1 portal.
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Navigate to DNS > Zones to view a list of zones associated with your account.
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Click the name of the desired zone to drill down into zone details.
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In the Records tab, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click Add record.
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Select the record type from the drop-down menu. Refer to Guide to DNS record types for more information about each supported record type.
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In the name field, enter a prefix for this record's domain name or leave it blank to indicate an apex record.
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Enter a time-to-live (TTL) value (in seconds). The default value is 3600 (seconds). Refer to Best practices: TTL configuration for details.
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Under Answers, add one or more DNS answers and click Add answer after each entry. Answer configuration options vary depending on the type of record you are creating. Refer to Guide to DNS record types for more information about the answer fields and format for each record type.
Note
Many record types support multiple answers (e.g., multiple endpoints to which you can direct DNS traffic). You can configure Filter Chains within the record to determine which answer(s) to return based on characteristics of the source and target IP. Refer to Configure records with multiple answers for details.
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Once complete, click Save record.
The new record appears in the list of records within the zone.
Once created, you can add or modify the record answers and apply a Filter Chain configuration to define the logic NS1 will use to steer DNS queries to the optimal answer (endpoint).