// Core Principle

How Zero-Downtime DNS Migration Works

DNS migration does not cause downtime when executed in the correct order: Stage all identical records on OnlyDNS before switching nameserver delegation at your registrar. During the cutover period, global resolvers will query either your old nameservers or OnlyDNS, and both will return valid, identical IP answers.

Step 1

Stage Records

Upload file or Auto-Scan

Step 2

Pre-Test Dig

Verify @ns1.onlydns.com

Step 3

Delegate NS

Point registrar to OnlyDNS

Step 4

Enable DNSSEC

1-Click signing & DS

// Method A: Web Portal (Simplest Human UX)

Effortless 3-Step Portal Migration Workflow

Designed for maximum simplicity — no manual record typing, complex scripts, or technical hurdles.

1

Choose Your Import Mode (Zone File Upload or 1-Click Auto-Discovery)

In the OnlyDNS Portal, click "Add Domain" > "Import Existing Zone". You have two instant options:

📂 Option 1: Drag & Drop BIND Zone File

Drop any exported .zone, .txt, or .csv file (from Cloudflare, Route 53, GoDaddy, BIND, cPanel, or Plesk).

🔍 Option 2: 1-Click Smart DNS Auto-Discovery

No zone export available? Just enter your domain name. OnlyDNS scans and auto-discovers all published A, AAAA, MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and CNAME records automatically.

2

Visual Review & Instant Syntax Validation

The portal displays an interactive staging table showing every parsed record. Built-in validation flags syntax errors, invalid IPv6 formats, or missing MX priority weights before anything is saved:

                                TYPE • HOST
                                VALUE / TARGET
                                STATUS
                            

                                A @ (apex)
                                203.0.113.10
                                ✓ Validated
                            

                                MX @ (apex)
                                10 mail.example.com.
                                ✓ Validated
                            

                                TXT @ (apex)
                                "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all"
                                ✓ Validated
                            

Ready to commit 18 staged records?

3

Update Nameservers at Your Registrar

Log in to your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, Network Solutions, Hover, etc.) and update your authoritative nameservers to OnlyDNS:

Primary Nameserver

ns1.onlydns.com

Secondary Nameserver

ns2.onlydns.us

Live Propagation Tracking: The portal automatically polls global root servers and changes your domain status from ⏳ Pending Registrar to ✓ Active Anycast as soon as delegation goes live.

// Method B: Terminal CLI (Developer & CI/CD Speed)

1-Command Migration with OnlyDNS CLI

Automate domain zone imports and batch migrations directly from terminal scripts.

Terminal: Fast CLI Zone Import CLI Features & Guide →

# 1. Install OnlyDNS CLI globally or use via npx
$ npm install -g @onlydns/cli

# 2. Authenticate with your API key
$ onlydns config login odn_live_9f83a1b4...

# 3. Import a standard BIND zone file directly
$ onlydns zone import example.com ./example.com.zone
✓ Created zone example.com
✓ Parsed 24 DNS resource records from ./example.com.zone
✓ Synchronized to 23 global Anycast edge nodes in 420ms

# OR run automated DNS scanner import
$ onlydns zone scan example.com --import
✓ Discovered 14 live records (A, AAAA, MX, TXT/SPF, DKIM, CNAME)
✓ Staged records to example.com successfully

# 4. Verify staged records
$ onlydns records list example.com
NAME                         TYPE     TTL      VALUES
@                            A        300      203.0.113.10
www                          CNAME    300      example.com.
@                            MX       300      10 mail.example.com.
@                            TXT      300      "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all"

// Provider Export Cheatsheets

Migrating from Your Current DNS Provider

Quick instructions for exporting zone files from major cloud and registrar dashboards.

From Cloudflare

Log into Cloudflare dashboard > select domain.
Navigate to DNS > Records.
Click Advanced > Export DNS Records.
Drop the exported .txt file into OnlyDNS Portal or run onlydns zone import.

From AWS Route 53

Use AWS CLI to export records:
aws route53 list-resource-record-sets --hosted-zone-id YOUR_ZONE_ID > records.json
Or use OnlyDNS Portal 1-Click DNS Auto-Discovery.
Review records and confirm import.

From GoDaddy

Go to GoDaddy Domain Portfolio > select domain > DNS.
Click Actions > Export Zone File (Unix BIND format).
Upload the zone file in OnlyDNS Portal.
Change nameservers to OnlyDNS.

From Google Cloud DNS

Run gcloud export command:
gcloud dns record-sets export zone.txt --zone=MY_ZONE
Import with onlydns zone import example.com zone.txt.
Delegate nameservers to OnlyDNS.

// Post-Migration Checklist

Final Verification & 1-Click DNSSEC Activation

✓

1. Verify Live Global Resolution:

Run dig example.com NS +trace or check multiple global locations to confirm resolvers are querying ns1.onlydns.com.

✓

2. Enable Automated DNSSEC:

In the OnlyDNS Portal, click DNSSEC Settings > Enable. Copy the generated DS record parameters into your domain registrar's DNSSEC control panel. Learn more on our DNSSEC Feature Page.

✓

3. Clean Up Legacy DNS:

Wait 48 hours for legacy registrar cache TTLs to fully expire before decommissioning the zone on your old DNS provider.

// Seamless Migration

Ready to Migrate to OnlyDNS?

Import your zone in seconds with 250,000 free monthly queries on our global 23-node Anycast network.

Start Migration in Portal View Web Interface →

Zero-Downtime DNS Migration Guide