DNS Record Generator
Generate DNS zone records in BIND format with validation, presets, and export.
About This Tool
The DNS Record Generator is a free browser-based tool that helps developers, system administrators, and DevOps engineers create correctly formatted BIND zone files without memorizing the complex syntax. DNS (Domain Name System) is the backbone of the internet, translating human-readable domain names into IP addresses and defining how email is routed, which certificate authorities can issue SSL certificates, and how services are discovered.
Writing zone files by hand is tedious and error-prone. A misplaced tab, a missing trailing dot on a fully qualified domain name, or an incorrect MX priority can cause email delivery failures or downtime. This visual builder eliminates those problems by generating syntactically correct records with real-time validation for IPv4/IPv6 addresses, hostnames, priority ranges, and TTL values.
The tool supports all common DNS record types: A and AAAA records for IPv4 and IPv6 address mapping, CNAME records for aliases, MX records for email routing, TXT records for SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and domain verification, NS records for nameserver delegation, SRV records for service discovery, CAA records for certificate authority restrictions, and PTR records for reverse DNS lookups.
Quick presets let you add Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 MX
records, Let's Encrypt CAA records, basic SPF records, and
DMARC policies with a single click. The generated output includes
$ORIGIN and $TTL directives and can be
copied to your clipboard or downloaded as a
.zone file ready for use with BIND, PowerDNS, or any
DNS server that supports the standard zone file format.
How to Use
- Enter your domain name and optionally adjust the default TTL at the top of the tool.
- Use the Quick Presets to instantly add common configurations like Google Workspace MX records, SPF, or DMARC.
- Switch between record type tabs (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS, SRV, CAA, PTR) to add records of each type.
- Click Add Record to add multiple records within each type. Fill in the fields and the output updates in real time.
- Validation errors appear inline under each field. Fix any issues flagged in red before using the zone file.
- Review the generated BIND zone file in the output panel. Click Copy to copy to clipboard or Download to save as a
.zonefile.
Popular DNS Record Examples
FAQ
What is a BIND zone file?
A BIND zone file is a plain text file that describes a DNS zone using a standard format recognized by BIND (Berkeley Internet Name Domain), the most widely used DNS server software. It contains resource records that map domain names to IP addresses and define other DNS properties like mail servers, nameservers, and text records.
What does the $ORIGIN directive do?
The $ORIGIN directive sets the base domain name for the zone file. When you use @ in a record, it is replaced with the $ORIGIN value. Relative hostnames (those without a trailing dot) are also appended with the $ORIGIN domain. For example, if $ORIGIN is example.com., then 'www' becomes 'www.example.com.'.
What is TTL and what value should I use?
TTL (Time To Live) is the duration in seconds that a DNS record is cached by resolvers. The $TTL directive sets the default for all records. Common values are 3600 (1 hour) for normal records, 300 (5 minutes) during migrations, and 86400 (24 hours) for stable records. Lower TTL means faster propagation of changes but more DNS queries.
What is the difference between A and CNAME records?
An A record maps a hostname directly to an IPv4 address (e.g., example.com -> 93.184.216.34). A CNAME record creates an alias that points to another hostname (e.g., www.example.com -> example.com). CNAME records cannot coexist with other record types for the same hostname, and should not be used at the zone apex (@).
How do MX record priorities work?
MX (Mail Exchange) record priority determines the order in which mail servers are tried. Lower numbers indicate higher priority. If the server with priority 1 is unavailable, the sender tries the server with priority 5, then 10, and so on. Multiple servers with the same priority receive mail in a round-robin fashion.
What are CAA records used for?
CAA (Certification Authority Authorization) records specify which certificate authorities (CAs) are permitted to issue SSL/TLS certificates for a domain. The 'issue' tag controls standard certificates, 'issuewild' controls wildcard certificates, and 'iodef' specifies where to report policy violations. This helps prevent unauthorized certificate issuance.
Is my data safe with this tool?
Yes. All record generation and validation happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. No data is transmitted to any server. You can verify this by checking your browser's network tab. Your domain names, IP addresses, and DNS configuration never leave your machine.
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