DNS Migration Guide | InMotion Hosting

A DNS migration happens when you update your domain’s DNS records. Several scenarios may prompt you to migrate your DNS to a new server, and you’ll learn the most popular ones later in this article. 

But regardless of why you need a DNS migration, a DNS downtime can add an extra task to your system admin’s plate and subtract a significant amount from your business’s bottom line. 

This guide is created to help you confidently plan and execute DNS changes, whether you’re moving one domain or hundreds. Read on to learn the intricacies of executing faster DNS migrations with minimal financial losses.  

DNS Migration Fundamentals: What You Need to Know First

A popular way to think of DNS is as the Internet’s address book. When someone types your domain name (like InMotionHosting.com) into their browser, DNS translates that name into an IP address that points to your server. This system lets internet users find your site, send emails, and connect to your services.

Types of DNS Migrations

Not all DNS changes are created equal. You may be:

Switching DNS hosts to take advantage of better features or reliability

Transferring your domain registrar for billing or management consolidation

Migrating web or email hosting, requiring DNS records to point to new servers

Re-architecting infrastructure in the cloud (e.g., AWS, Azure), which impacts how DNS is configured

Each procedure carries unique risks and steps, so understanding your specific migration type is key.

DNS Hosting vs Domain Registration: What’s the Difference?

Domain registration is your ownership of a domain name, managed through a registrar. DNS hosting refers to the service that stores and resolves your DNS records.

Your registrar might also offer DNS hosting, but they are separate functions. During migrations, you need to know where your DNS is currently hosted so you can export and reconfigure records properly.

Key DNS Records to Preserve

Losing or misconfiguring even a single record during migration can disrupt your operations. Pay close attention to the following:

A and AAAA records: Point your domain to your server’s IPv4 or IPv6 address

MX records: Direct email traffic to your mail server

CNAME records: Alias one domain to another (e.g., www to the root domain)

TXT records: Store data used for domain verification, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC policies

SRV, NS, and PTR records (for specific services or infrastructure setups)

Before you begin migration, create a full inventory of your existing records.

1. Pre-Migration Planning: Your Critical Preparation Checklist

Poor planning is the #1 reason for faulty DNS migrations. In the pre-migration stage, here’s what you should do:

Create a Comprehensive DNS Inventory

Start by documenting every DNS record linked to your domain. If your domain supports web apps, subdomains, third-party services (like payment processors or analytics tools), include them too. This inventory will become your source of truth during the migration.

Perform a Risk Assessment and Impact Analysis

Run a check to see what systems would break if your DNS fails, even temporarily. For example:

Will users lose access to your login portal?

Will email stop flowing for key departments?

Will embedded apps or third-party integrations fail?

Tools like DNSstuff, IntoDNS, or security dashboards from your hosting provider can help visualize these dependencies before the migration begins.

Set Realistic Timelines Based on TTL

Time-to-Live (TTL) values define how long DNS information is cached by resolvers across the Internet. If you don’t plan around TTL, propagation delays can leave users stranded on outdated records.

Review each record’s TTL setting and adjust in advance. Lowering TTLs to 300 seconds (5 minutes) about 48–72 hours before migration allows faster updates when it counts.

We’ll cover TTL management in depth in the next section, but this step belongs in your pre-migration checklist.

Develop a Rollback Plan

Hope for the best. Plan for the worst.

A detailed rollback plan ensures you can quickly restore service if something breaks mid-migration. Your rollback plan should include:

A backup of all DNS records in a portable format (e.g., BIND or CSV)

An emergency contact list for internal IT and third-party vendors

Access credentials for both old and new DNS providers

Steps for reverting your nameserver changes

Even if you never use it, having a plan reduces stress and supports decision-making under pressure.

Communicate With Stakeholders

DNS migrations affect more than just your technical team. Notify everyone who needs to know, especially the marketing teams (so they can pause campaigns if needed), customer support (so they can answer questions if issues arise), and of course, email service providers, SaaS vendors, or other integrated partners.

Include a simple timeline and contingency plan in your comms. A short heads-up goes a long way in keeping teammates aligned and customers happy.

2. Strategic TTL Management: The Key to Smooth Transitions

DNS migrations often fail due to timing issues. And nothing controls timing in DNS quite like TTL, or Time-to-Live.

What Is TTL and Why Does It Matter?

TTL determines how long the old data remains after a change is made. If TTL values are too long, users may continue to hit outdated IP addresses or services, even after you’ve updated your records. That’s where outages and delays happen.

But with proper TTL planning, you can control how fast your DNS updates propagate, reducing uncertainty and ensuring a smoother cutover.

The Ideal TTL Reduction Schedule

Think of TTL like a countdown clock. Here’s how to set it up for a frictionless transition:

7 Days Before Migration: Audit TTL values for all critical records (A, MX, CNAME, etc.). Next, lower the TTL to 86400 seconds (24 hours) if they’re currently higher

3 Days Before Migration: Reduce TTL to 3600 seconds (1 hour)

24–48 Hours Before Migration: Reduce TTL to 300 seconds (5 minutes). This gives you the fastest possible propagation during the critical switch

Post-Migration: After verifying everything is stable, return TTL to 3600 or 86400 seconds to reduce DNS lookup overhead.

This staged approach helps you balance speed and control while minimizing cache conflicts.

Pro Tip: If your DNS provider doesn’t support granular TTL changes, consider migrating your DNS to one that does before beginning the broader migration.

3. Email Continuity: Protecting Your Critical Communications

It’s not uncommon for businesses to complete a successful website migration, only to find out days later that no one has received a single email. That’s because MX (Mail Exchange) records, which route email traffic, are DNS-dependent. If they’re forgotten, misconfigured, or updated out of sequence, email delivery can silently fail.

And because email issues aren’t always immediately obvious, the damage often goes unnoticed until it’s too late.

To ensure email continuity, follow this tested sequence:

Lower TTL on MX records 48 hours before migration to speed up propagation.

Verify the new mail server is operational before making any DNS changes.

Replicate all existing MX and supporting records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and relevant TXT records) on the new DNS host.

Switch over MX records during a low-traffic window, typically early morning or weekends.

Monitor delivery logs immediately after cutover using your mail service’s dashboard or command-line tools like dig and nslookup.

Pro tip: Don’t forget about supporting DNS records. Missing SPF or DKIM entries can send your emails straight to spam.

Testing Email Delivery During DNS Transitions

Before declaring success, test email send and receive functionality across:

Internal mailboxes ([email protected])

External recipients (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo)

Email forwarding or alias services

Transactional systems (e.g., order confirmations, password resets)

Use tools like MXToolbox to check for delivery issues, DNS mismatches, or blacklisting.

Also, validate SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configurations to ensure your domain isn’t vulnerable to spoofing or blocked by mail providers.

Common MX Record Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced sysadmins fall into these traps:

Omitting priority values or setting them incorrectly, causing mail delivery to fail or be delayed

Missing trailing dots in raw MX record inputs (some DNS panels require mail.domain.com. instead of mail.domain.com)

Forgetting to update SPF records to reflect new sending servers

Incorrect TTL values, leading to long propagation delays even after changes are made

Avoid these by double-checking each value and using your DNS provider’s documentation as a reference.

4. Step-by-Step Migration Process: Execution Best Practices

Once your DNS inventory is complete and your TTLs are optimized, it’s time to begin the actual migration. Let’s walk through a proven, phased approach.

Step I: Export and Verify All DNS Records

Start by exporting your current DNS zone file.

Then, validate what you’ve exported:

Are all required records accounted for?

Are there any legacy entries no longer needed?

Are TXT and SPF records formatted correctly?

Keep a backup of both the raw and cleaned versions. These are your fail-safes if rollback becomes necessary.

Step II: Sequence the Migration by Service Priority

Avoid an “all-at-once” switch. Instead, migrate by impact:

Web hosting (A, AAAA, and CNAME)

Email services (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

Third-party services (APIs, analytics, app subdomains)

Step III: Verify Between Each Migration Phase

After each group of records is updated:

Use dig, nslookup, or DNSChecker.org to confirm global propagation

Test real-world functionality: Can you load the site? Are transactional emails working?

Review server logs for new errors or warning flags

Pro tip: Never skip a verification step. Each checkpoint helps you isolate and resolve issues early, before they snowball.

Step IV: Use Load Balancers and Static IPs Strategically

If you’re managing a large or high-traffic site, don’t underestimate the value of infrastructure tools.

Load balancers allow traffic to be split between old and new environments, useful for seamless cutovers. Static IPs let you pre-map A records to your new environment ahead of time

These tools are particularly valuable on dedicated servers, where you control the networking layer and can configure fallbacks or traffic rules.

Step V: Update Nameserver Records

When moving to a new DNS provider, this is your final and most sensitive step. Wait until:

All records are fully replicated and verified

Your TTL values have been lowered as planned

Monitoring is active, and rollback plans are documented

Once nameservers are updated at the registrar level, global propagation begins, typically taking 24–48 hours. During this time, closely monitor DNS traffic, site uptime, and service behavior across regions.

5. Monitoring DNS Propagation: Knowing When You’re Done

After your DNS migration, propagation is the final step. Use these tools to check where your records have been updated:

dig / nslookup: Command-line tools for querying DNS

DNSChecker.org and WhatsMyDNS.net: Global visual maps

MXToolbox: Focused on mail-related records

Enterprise teams may also set up automated probes through Pingdom or Uptrends.

How to Interpret Propagation Results

Most propagation tools display results from multiple global DNS resolvers. Here’s what the responses mean:

New value shown: Resolver has updated successfully

Old value shown: Still cached from earlier TTL

No result: Likely a misconfigured record or temporary resolver issue

If at least 80–90% of locations display the updated values, and your key services are functional, you’re close to completion.

Regional Variations in Propagation Time

DNS propagation speed varies by:

ISP-level caching behavior

Record type (A and CNAME resolve faster than TXT or MX)

Device-level DNS caching in browsers or operating systems

Typically, A and CNAME records resolve within 1–4 hours. TXT and MX records may take 12–48 hours.

When to Consider the Migration Complete

You can close the migration when:

All services (web, email, third-party tools) function correctly

Monitoring shows global consistency

No user issues are reported

Logs confirm stable access to the new environment

InMotion Hosting Tip: Speed Up with Smart A Record HandlingOne method InMotion Hosting often recommends: update A records on your old DNS host to point to the new server before switching nameservers. This routes traffic to the right destination even before full propagation completes; a practical way to minimize downtime during transitions.

6. Troubleshooting Common DNS Migration Issues

Even well-planned DNS migrations can hit a few snags. Knowing what to look for (and how to fix it) can mean the difference between a minor hiccup and prolonged downtime.

Below are the most common DNS migration issues, along with proven ways to resolve them.

Partial Propagation Problems

The symptom: Some users reach your new environment, while others still land on the old one.

The cause: This typically happens when DNS changes haven’t fully propagated due to lingering TTL values or caching at the resolver level.

The fix:

Double-check that TTLs were lowered before the migration

Use tools like dig or DNSChecker.org to confirm where propagation is lagging

In the short term, guide affected users to flush their DNS cache or switch to a public resolver like Google DNS (8.8.8.8)

Record Conflicts

The symptom: You’ve added the right records, but your services still don’t work as expected.

The cause: Conflicting records (like multiple A records pointing to different IPs or overlapping CNAMEs) can override or cancel each other out.

The fix:

Audit all newly added records against the old zone file

Remove duplicates or deprecated entries that may be interfering

Ensure that each subdomain only uses one record type for redirection (e.g., CNAME or A, not both)

CNAME and Apex Domain Challenges

The symptom: The root domain doesn’t behave the same as the www subdomain.

The cause: DNS standards don’t allow CNAME records at the apex/root level (e.g., yourdomain.com). If you’ve configured www.yourdomain.com with a CNAME but tried to apply the same to the root, you’ll run into issues.

The fix:

Use an A or ALIAS/ANAME record at the root domain to point to the correct IP address

Leave the CNAME for the www subdomain

Confirm your DNS provider supports ALIAS or ANAME for root-level flexibility

SSL Certificate Complications

The symptom: Your website throws HTTPS or certificate errors after the DNS switch.

The cause: SSL certificates are tied to specific domain names and IPs. If your new server doesn’t have the correct certificate installed or the DNS hasn’t fully propagated, users may see security warnings.

The fix:

Install valid SSL certificates on the new host before redirecting traffic

Use a wildcard or SAN certificate to cover multiple subdomains

If using Let’s Encrypt, ensure the DNS has resolved before triggering validation

DNS issues can be frustrating. But if you’re hosting with InMotion, our support team is available 24/7 to help diagnose and resolve migration challenges as they arise.

7. Special Considerations for Enterprise DNS Migrations

For enterprise teams, DNS migrations are trickier. The stakes are higher, the infrastructure is more complex, and the margin for error is razor-thin.

DNS Migration in Cloud Environments (AWS, Azure, GCP)

Cloud-native platforms like AWS Route 53, Azure DNS, and Google Cloud DNS offer high-performance resolution, but their configuration models differ significantly from traditional hosting.

Common challenges:

Complex routing policies (weighted, geolocation-based, failover)

Multi-zone record sets tied to auto-scaling or load-balanced infrastructure

Tight integration with IAM (identity access) for DNS record changes

Best practices:

Audit your cloud zones and document dependencies tied to other cloud services (e.g., Lambda, App Services, Cloud Functions)

Use Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform to manage and migrate DNS programmatically

Backup all zone configurations before initiating changes, especially when working across multiple providers

Working with CDN Providers During DNS Transitions

If your site relies on CDNs like Cloudflare, Akamai, or Fastly, your DNS doesn’t just resolve to a web server, it points to an edge layer that manages caching, SSL termination, and security.

To avoid breaking delivery:

Replicate all relevant CDN settings before switching DNS

Confirm SSL certificates and caching policies match across both environments

Coordinate DNS cutover with your CDN provider to prevent edge routing issues

In some cases, a “gray cloud” configuration (or, bypassing CDN temporarily) can help test and verify the new environment before fully re-enabling CDN features.

Automating Large-Scale DNS Migrations

Manual updates don’t scale when you’re managing hundreds of records or domains. For large migrations, automation is essential.

Tools and techniques to consider:

Terraform + provider-specific modules (e.g., AWS Route 53 or Cloudflare DNS modules)

PowerShell and Bash scripts using APIs from providers like Google Domains, GoDaddy, or Namecheap

Zone file converters that can transform records between formats (BIND, JSON, CSV)

Always test scripts in staging environments and validate outputs before running updates in production. One malformed record pushed at scale can take down a business-critical system.

Why Enterprise Migrations Are Different and How InMotion Hosting Helps

When the risks include broken transactions, SLA breaches, or loss of user access in global markets, a “safe enough” migration isn’t good enough.

Here’s what’s interesting: DNS threats on enterprise organizations with over 500 employees are on the rise. Take a look at the 2022 vs 2023 numbers, as obtained from the International Data Corporation: 

Metric20222023ChangeOrganizations experiencing DNS attacks88%90%? Slight increaseAverage number of attacks per organization~77.5?Average cost of a DNS attack$942,000$1.1 million? 16.7% increaseData theft as a result of attacks24%29%?App downtime (in-house + cloud) due to attacks70%73%?Phishing via DNS51%54%?Cloud service downtime from DNS issues41%44%?Organizations not using DNS data for threat intel79%79%— No improvementOrganizations lacking auto-remediation—59%New stat

At InMotion Hosting, we’ve supported enterprise migrations for SaaS platforms, multi-brand eCommerce operations, and cloud-first teams. We understand the architectural complexity, the cross-team coordination, and the need for zero downtime execution.

From designing hybrid migration plans with DNS fallbacks to pre-validating CDN and SSL configurations, our engineers can help you orchestrate every phase with precision, so that nothing slips through the cracks.

8. Post-Migration Best Practices

A successful DNS migration doesn’t end the moment records propagate. The final step is reinforcing your infrastructure, validating functionality, and creating safeguards that keep you protected long after the cutover.

Here’s how to stay ahead of those pitfalls:

Validate the Migration Was Fully Successful

Once propagation has completed, perform a final, comprehensive validation:

Load your website from multiple global endpoints

Send and receive emails from both internal and external accounts

Test integrations like CRMs, analytics tools, eCommerce platforms, and payment gateways

Confirm logs show expected traffic and service availability

Update Internal Documentation and Transfer Knowledge

After the migration:

Update all internal documents (network diagrams, service guides, credentials)

Archive a copy of your new DNS zone file

Annotate any changes made during the migration for future audits

Share a post-mortem with your team detailing what worked, what didn’t, and what should be repeated or avoided

Implement Long-Term DNS Management Practices

Once everything is stable, shift from reactive to proactive:

Set TTLs back to default values (typically 3600s or 86400s) to reduce unnecessary lookups

Use version control or backup systems for zone files

Audit DNS records quarterly to remove obsolete entries and validate integrity

Set up health checks and alerts for DNS resolution failures or propagation delays

DNS should never be a set-it-and-forget-it service.

Monitor for Late-Stage Issues

Post-migration anomalies can surface gradually:

Emails flagged as spam due to misconfigured SPF or DKIM records

SSL renewals are failing because of missing CAA or ACME challenge records

CDN performance degrading due to caching conflicts or misrouted DNS queries

Use DNS monitoring tools to watch for unexpected behavior. Services like StatusCake, Catchpoint, and Nagios can alert you to resolve failures or traffic anomalies in real-time.

Conclusion

Whether you’re shifting a single domain or migrating hundreds across environments, success hinges on one thing: preparation.

The more clarity you build into the process, the smoother the handoff from old to new.

At InMotion Hosting, we specialize in helping businesses handle migrations the right way — whether you’re managing eCommerce sites, SaaS platforms, or cloud-native deployments. From support with DNS cutovers to multi-site coordination and real-time troubleshooting, our team is here to help you move without missteps.

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