How Long Does a New DNS Record Take to Resolve?
Last updated
Records you add to a domain will be available within seconds from all of DNSimple’s name servers. Full DNS propagation - the time it takes for the change to be visible worldwide - depends on how other DNS resolvers handle caching.
DNS propagation and caching
DNS propagation is the time it takes for DNS record changes to spread across all resolvers on the internet. When a new record is added, a DNS resolver may not see it immediately if it has recently queried the domain for that same record. Resolvers store DNS information in a cache to reduce network traffic and speed up lookups.
This caching behavior also applies to records that do not exist. If a DNS resolver queries for a name that is not yet in the system, it will cache that negative response. The minimum TTL field in your zone’s SOA record sets how long this negative result is cached (or the SOA record’s own TTL, if that is lower). DNSimple zones default to 5 minutes, so even a resolver that cached a negative answer just before you added the record sees the new record within about 5 minutes. If your zone’s SOA record has a higher minimum TTL, the wait is longer.
To learn more about how caching works and how to control it, read our What Is Time-to-Live? article. For information about DNSimple’s TTL settings, see the DNSimple TTL Settings Reference.
If you are experiencing issues with records not resolving, see Check DNS Cache for steps to clear your cache, or refer to Troubleshoot Record Resolution Issues and Troubleshoot Domain Resolution Issues for guidance.
Have more questions?
If you have additional questions about caching, just contact support, and we will be happy to help. You can also read more about DNS hosting at DNSimple.