Ensure Proper Dns Records

Task Library

Audit the domain's DNS zone so A/CNAME records point at the live site, MX at the mail provider, and TXT records carry verifications – with no stale leftovers.

Category: Digital Plumbing

Use this when taking over a domain, after any host or mail migration, or when the site/email misbehaves intermittently and old records are suspect.

Inputs

  • DNS management access (from verify-domain-ownership-and-registrar-access)
  • Current truth: live webhost IP/hostname, mail provider, and active third-party services
  • Any DNS lookup tool to confirm what actually resolves publicly

Steps

  1. Export or screenshot the current zone before touching anything – your rollback and your before evidence.
  2. Web records: confirm the apex domain's A (or ALIAS) record and the www CNAME both point at the current webhost. Both apex and www must load the site (one 301-redirecting to the canonical version).
  3. Mail records: confirm MX points only at the current mail provider – stale MX from an old host silently eats mail.
  4. TXT records: confirm SPF and DMARC (sibling skill), the Google Search Console verification TXT, and any provider verifications. Add what's missing.
  5. Hunt zombies: records pointing at dead hosts, old builders, ex-agency subdomains, or abandoned services. Remove them – dangling records are a security and confusion hazard.
  6. Verify public resolution after changes (DNS lookup from outside, not just the DNS panel), allowing for TTL propagation.
  7. Document the final zone – every record and why it exists – in the client record, so the next person doesn't have to guess.

Definition of done (QA checklist)

  • Apex and www both resolve to the live site over HTTPS
  • MX records point only at the current mail provider; mail send/receive tested
  • TXT records present for SPF, DMARC, and GSC verification
  • No stale or dangling records remain; final zone documented with purpose per record
  • Linked back to the definitive article and relevant siblings
  • Complies with Blog Posting Guidelines (if it publishes content)

Example(s)

  • Example needed – run the Meta-Article Prompt after first real run.

File in the zip: skills/digital-plumbing/ensure-proper-dns-records.md. Download the Task Library zip.

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