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How to Use Templates

Table of Contents

Templates are reusable groups of DNS records that you can apply to any of your domains. They speed up the entry of DNS records and reduce mistakes like typos. For an overview of DNS template documentation, see DNS Templates at DNSimple. For what happens to a zone when a template is applied, see How DNS Templates Work.

Templates are reached from the tab in the header, between and .

Note

The tab appears only for users who can manage the account. If you do not see it, you have domain-level access rather than account-level access.

Note

Templates do not override any existing DNS records on your domain.

Creating a template

Create a template and add records to it

  1. On the header, click the tab, then click .

    screenshot of adding a new template

  2. Fill in the form for your template and save it. The example below creates a template that adds a CNAME record pointing to a Heroku address.

    Template new

  3. Open the template and add its records.

    screenshot of tooltip for managing a templates dns

    screenshot of list of dns records for a template

  4. Add each record as you would in the record editor. There is no limit to the number of records a template can hold.

    Template new record

Template records support two substitutions. The keyword {{domain}} is replaced with the name of the domain the template is applied to, and @ on its own is replaced with the same value for certain record types. See Template Record Variables and Syntax for the full rules.

Applying a template

Apply a template to a domain
  1. Log in to DNSimple with your user credentials.
  2. If you have more than one account, select the relevant one from the account switcher.
  3. On the header, click the tab, locate the domain, and click the name to open the domain page.
  4. On the domain page, click .

  5. Click the button, then select from the dropdown.

    Apply the template from the record editor

  6. Select the template you want to apply.

    Apply the template from the record editor

  7. Confirm the new records appear in the zone.

    Apply the template from the record editor

If the template does not apply, the most likely cause is a conflict with a record that already exists on the domain. For example, if your domain already has a beta CNAME record, a template that creates the same record will not apply.

Have more questions?

If you have additional questions or need any assistance creating or applying templates, just contact support, and we’ll be happy to help.