Synchronize your DNS to multiple providers from a simple DSL
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Graham Miln b8d1d55bec
LINODE: Accept CAA records with non-zero flags (#4049)
Allow domains with Certification Authority Authorization (`CAA`) records
that have flags. Previously `dnscontrol` reported:

> LINODE rejects domain example.com: caa flag is non-zero".

Linode does not, or no longer, rejects `CAA` records with non-zero
flags. The flags are dropped by Linode but the `CAA` records are
created.

In the example below, the flag `iodef_critical` is discarded by Linode.
Otherwise the `CAA` records are populated as expected:

``` js
CAA_BUILDER({
  label: "@",
  iodef: "mailto:test@example.com",
  iodef_critical: true,
  issue: ["letsencrypt.org"],
  issuewild: "none",
})
```
2026-02-03 10:43:27 -05:00
.github NEW PROVIDER: Gidinet DNS provider and registrar (#4004) 2026-02-02 07:54:45 -05:00
bin TOOLS: bin/generate-all.sh should skip .vscode (#3901) 2025-12-08 10:09:06 -05:00
build DOCS: debug provider links that had underscores before 3909 (#4041) 2026-02-02 07:19:00 -05:00
commands CLOUDFLAREAPI: Add support for record comments and tags (#4025) 2026-02-01 14:45:03 -05:00
docs FEATURE: Optionally disable spfcache.json (#3765) 2025-09-13 12:23:46 -04:00
documentation LINODE: Enable Service (SRV) record support (#4048) 2026-02-03 08:06:51 -05:00
integrationTest NEW PROVIDER: Gidinet DNS provider and registrar (#4004) 2026-02-02 07:54:45 -05:00
models REFACTOR: Label legacy miekg/dns package as dnsv1 (#4024) 2026-01-29 11:31:20 -05:00
pkg CHORE: generate-all.sh (#4043) 2026-02-02 08:29:04 -05:00
providers LINODE: Accept CAA records with non-zero flags (#4049) 2026-02-03 10:43:27 -05:00
.editorconfig DOCS: expand upon concurrency (#3676) 2025-07-22 10:01:10 -04:00
.git-blame-ignore-revs Add .git-blame-ignore-revs 2025-01-03 13:19:39 -05:00
.gitattributes DOCS: Fix many minor typos (#3752) 2025-09-02 11:00:25 -04:00
.gitignore REFACTOR: BIND/GANDI_V5 add "RP" record type, rewrite CLOUDFLAREAPI CF_* and more (#3886) 2025-12-04 16:42:20 -05:00
.golangci.yml CICD(golangci) Disable errcheck (#3873) 2025-12-02 10:26:56 -05:00
.goreleaser.yml NEW PROVIDER: Gidinet DNS provider and registrar (#4004) 2026-02-02 07:54:45 -05:00
.linkspector.yml DOCS: Linkspector URI fixes (#3625) 2025-06-20 08:39:47 -04:00
.nvmrc CICD: Detect broken HTML links in the documentation as part of the pipeline (#3439) 2025-03-21 10:56:41 -04:00
.prettierrc Format helpers.js (#205) 2017-09-15 13:12:09 -04:00
Dockerfile Build(deps): Bump alpine from 3.23.2 to 3.23.3 (#4032) 2026-02-01 14:40:23 -05:00
go.mod CHORE: Update deps (#4047) 2026-02-03 08:07:30 -05:00
go.sum CHORE: Update deps (#4047) 2026-02-03 08:07:30 -05:00
LICENSE migrate code for github 2016-08-22 18:31:50 -06:00
main.go CHORE: Move non-provider code out of /providers (#3916) 2025-12-15 12:53:52 -05:00
OWNERS NEW PROVIDER: Gidinet DNS provider and registrar (#4004) 2026-02-02 07:54:45 -05:00
package-lock.json CHORE: Update deps and re-run generate.sh (#3990) 2026-01-20 13:33:12 -05:00
package.json CHORE: Update deps and re-run generate.sh (#3990) 2026-01-20 13:33:12 -05:00
README.md NEW PROVIDER: Gidinet DNS provider and registrar (#4004) 2026-02-02 07:54:45 -05:00
SECURITY.md DOCS: Remove reference to ppush/ppreview, spelling fixes (#3940) 2025-12-22 23:52:34 -05:00
staticcheck.conf CHORE: Satisfy Staticcheck and remove unused code (#2331) 2023-05-08 16:49:26 -04:00

DNSControl

StackExchange/dnscontrol/build Google Group PkgGoDev

DNSControl is a system for maintaining DNS zones. It has two parts: a domain specific language (DSL) for describing DNS zones plus software that processes the DSL and pushes the resulting zones to DNS providers such as Route53, Cloudflare, and Gandi. It can send the same DNS records to multiple providers. It even generates the most beautiful BIND zone files ever. It runs anywhere Go runs (Linux, macOS, Windows). The provider model is extensible, so more providers can be added.

Currently supported DNS providers:

  • AdGuard Home
  • Akamai Edge DNS
  • Alibaba Cloud DNS (ALIDNS)
  • AutoDNS
  • AWS Route 53
  • AXFR+DDNS
  • Azure DNS
  • Azure Private DNS
  • BIND
  • Bunny DNS
  • CentralNic Reseller (CNR) - formerly RRPProxy
  • Cloudflare
  • ClouDNS
  • CSC Global (Experimental)
  • deSEC
  • DigitalOcean
  • DNS Made Easy
  • DNScale
  • DNSimple
  • Domainnameshop (Domeneshop)
  • Exoscale
  • Fortigate
  • Gandi
  • Gcore
  • Gidinet
  • Google DNS
  • Hetzner
  • HEXONET
  • hosting.de
  • Huawei Cloud DNS
  • Hurricane Electric DNS
  • Infomaniak
  • INWX
  • Joker
  • Linode
  • Loopia
  • LuaDNS
  • Microsoft Windows Server DNS Server
  • Mythic Beasts
  • Name.com
  • Namecheap
  • Netcup
  • Netlify
  • NS1
  • Oracle Cloud
  • OVH
  • Packetframe
  • Porkbun
  • PowerDNS
  • Realtime Register
  • RWTH DNS-Admin
  • Sakura Cloud
  • SoftLayer
  • TransIP
  • Vercel
  • Vultr

Currently supported Domain Registrars:

  • AWS Route 53
  • CentralNic Reseller (CNR) - formerly RRPProxy
  • CSC Global
  • DNSimple
  • DNSOVERHTTPS
  • Dynadot
  • easyname
  • Gandi
  • Gidinet
  • HEXONET
  • hosting.de
  • Internet.bs
  • INWX
  • Loopia
  • Name.com
  • Namecheap
  • OpenSRS
  • OVH
  • Porkbun
  • Realtime Register

At Stack Overflow, we use this system to manage hundreds of domains and subdomains across multiple registrars and DNS providers.

You can think of it as a DNS compiler. The configuration files are written in a DSL that looks a lot like JavaScript. It is compiled to an intermediate representation (IR). Compiler back-ends use the IR to update your DNS zones on services such as Route53, Cloudflare, and Gandi, or systems such as BIND.

An Example

dnsconfig.js:

// define our registrar and providers
var REG_NAMECOM = NewRegistrar("name.com");
var r53 = NewDnsProvider("r53")

D("example.com", REG_NAMECOM, DnsProvider(r53),
  A("@", "1.2.3.4"),
  CNAME("www","@"),
  MX("@",5,"mail.myserver.com."),
  A("test", "5.6.7.8")
)

Running dnscontrol preview will talk to the providers (here name.com as registrar and route 53 as the dns host), and determine what changes need to be made.

Running dnscontrol push will make those changes with the provider and my dns records will be correctly updated.

The easiest way to run DNSControl is to use the Docker container:

docker run --rm -it -v "$(pwd):/dns"  ghcr.io/stackexchange/dnscontrol preview

See Getting Started page on documentation site to get started!

Benefits

  • Less error-prone than editing a BIND zone file.
  • More reproducible than clicking buttons on a web portal.
  • Easily switch between DNS providers: The DNSControl language is vendor-agnostic. If you use it to maintain your DNS zone records, you can switch between DNS providers easily. In fact, DNSControl will upload your DNS records to multiple providers, which means you can test one while switching to another. We've switched providers 3 times in three years and we've never lost a DNS record.
  • Apply CI/CD principles to DNS! At StackOverflow we maintain our DNSControl configurations in Git and use our CI system to roll out changes. Keeping DNS information in a VCS means we have full history. Using CI enables us to include unit-tests and system-tests. Remember when you forgot to include a "." at the end of an MX record? We haven't had that problem since we included a test to make sure Tom doesn't make that mistake... again.
  • Adopt (GitOps) PR-based updates. Allow developers to send updates as PRs, which you can review before you approve.
  • Variables save time! Assign an IP address to a constant and use the variable name throughout the file. Need to change the IP address globally? Just change the variable and "recompile."
  • Macros! Define your SPF records, MX records, or other repeated data once and re-use them for all domains.
  • Control Cloudflare from a single source of truth. Enable/disable Cloudflare proxying (the "orange cloud" button) directly from your DNSControl files.
  • Keep similar domains in sync with transforms and other features. If one domain is supposed to be a filtered version of another, this is easy to set up.
  • It is extendable! All the DNS providers are written as plugins. Writing new plugins is very easy.

Installation

DNSControl can be installed via packages for macOS, Linux and Windows, or from source code. See the official instructions.

Via GitHub Actions (GHA)

See dnscontrol-action or gacts/install-dnscontrol.

Deprecation warnings (updated 2025-11-21)

  • REV() will switch from RFC2317 to RFC4183 in v5.0. This is a breaking change. Warnings are output if your configuration is affected. No date has been announced for v5.0. See https://docs.dnscontrol.org/language-reference/top-level-functions/revcompat
  • NAMEDOTCOM, OPENSRS, and SOFTLAYER need maintainers! These providers have no maintainer. Maintainers respond to PRs and fix bugs in a timely manner, and try to stay on top of protocol changes. Interested in being a hero and adopting them? Contact tlimoncelli at stack overflow dot com.

More info at our website

The website: https://docs.dnscontrol.org/

The getting started guide: https://docs.dnscontrol.org/getting-started/getting-started

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