---
title: "DNS zones"
description: "How DNS zones work in Edge DNS: create and verify a zone, understand pending, active and suspended states, SOA and TTL settings, and manage zones via the API."
url: "https://edge.network/docs/dns/zones"
section: "DNS"
---

# DNS zones

A zone represents a domain in Edge DNS. Learn how to create, manage and monitor your zones.

## About DNS zones

A DNS zone is a container for all the DNS records of a domain. When you add a domain to Edge DNS, you're creating a zone that holds all the records (A, CNAME, MX, etc.) that define how traffic is routed to your domain.

Example zone structure:

```text
Zone: example.com
├── A     @   → 185.x.x.x
├── CNAME www → example.com
├── MX    @   → mail.example.com (priority 10)
└── TXT   @   → "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all"
```

## Zone lifecycle

- **Pending:** the zone has been created but its nameservers are not yet verified. You can add records, but the zone won't serve DNS queries until the nameservers are updated.
- **Active:** nameservers are verified and the zone is live. Edge DNS is serving queries for your domain from our global anycast network.
- **Suspended:** the zone has been suspended due to a policy violation or billing issue. DNS queries return `SERVFAIL` until the issue is resolved.

## Creating a zone

1. **Navigate to DNS.** Open the DNS section from the main navigation.
2. **Click Add Zone.** This starts the zone creation wizard.
3. **Enter your domain.** Enter the root domain (e.g. `example.com`). Do not include `www` or other subdomains.
4. **Update nameservers.** Copy your unique nameservers and update them at your domain registrar.
5. **Verify and activate.** Click **Verify Nameservers** once you've updated your registrar. Your zone becomes active immediately on verification.

## SOA record

Every zone has a Start of Authority (SOA) record that defines key zone parameters. Edge DNS manages this automatically:

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `MNAME` | Primary nameserver (your assigned ns1) |
| `RNAME` | Hostmaster email (`hostmaster@yourdomain.com`) |
| Serial | Version number (`YYYYMMDDNN` format, auto-incremented) |
| Refresh | Secondary server check interval (3600s) |
| Retry | Retry interval on refresh failure (900s) |
| Expire | Zone expiration if unreachable (604800s / 7 days) |
| Minimum TTL | Negative caching TTL (300s) |

> [!NOTE]
> The SOA serial is updated automatically whenever you add, modify or delete records. This ensures secondary DNS servers and caches correctly detect zone changes.

## Zone settings

Each zone has configurable settings, accessible from the zone's **Settings** tab:

| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Default TTL | Time-to-live for records that don't specify one (default: 300 seconds) |
| DNSSEC | Enable or disable DNSSEC signing (coming soon) |

## Deleting a zone

> [!CAUTION]
> **This is destructive.** Deleting a zone immediately removes all records and stops serving DNS queries for the domain. This action cannot be undone.

To delete a zone:

1. Navigate to the zone you want to delete.
2. Click the **⋯** menu.
3. Select **Delete Zone**.
4. Confirm the deletion.

After deletion, remember to set your domain's nameservers back to your registrar's defaults or another DNS provider.

## API reference

Manage zones programmatically via the DNS API:

| Method | Endpoint | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `GET` | `/api/dns/zones` | List all zones |
| `POST` | `/api/dns/zones` | Create a zone |
| `GET` | `/api/dns/zones/:id` | Get a zone |
| `DELETE` | `/api/dns/zones/:id` | Delete a zone |
| `POST` | `/api/dns/zones/:id/verify` | Verify nameservers |
| `POST` | `/api/dns/zones/:id/sync` | Sync zone to DNS servers |

Creating a zone:

```http
POST /api/dns/zones
{
  "domain": "example.com"
}
```

> [!NOTE]
> **Sync behaviour.** Record changes are stored locally first for instant feedback, then synced to DNS servers automatically in the background. Use the `/sync` endpoint to trigger immediate propagation.

## Next steps

- [DNS records](/docs/dns/records) — Add and manage records in your zone
- [Nameservers](/docs/dns/nameservers) — Understanding unique nameserver pairs