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    Alibaba Cloud DNS:Modify, delete, pause, import, and export DNS records

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    Alibaba Cloud DNS:Modify, delete, pause, import, and export DNS records

    Last Updated:Jun 25, 2026

    This topic describes how to modify, delete, disable or enable, import, export, group, and search for DNS records.

    Modify DNS records

    If you adjust your public services, you will need to modify the DNS records for your domain. You can modify records in the following ways:

    Modify a single record: You can modify the hostname, record type, DNS request source, record value, TTL, and weight for an individual DNS record.

    Edit Record Set: You can modify the TTL, load balancing policy, weight, and record values in bulk for records that share the same record type, hostname, and DNS request source.

    Single record

    1. On the Alibaba Cloud DNS page, click the Settings button for the target domain name.

    2. On the Settings tab, click the Edit button for the target DNS record.

    3. In the Edit Record dialog box, modify the parameters as needed.

    Edit Record Set

    1. On the Alibaba Cloud DNS page, click the Settings button for the target domain name.

    2. On the Settings tab, find the target record in the list and click Edit Record Set in the Actions column.

    3. In the Edit Record dialog box, configure the TTL, Record Values Load Strategy, and Record Values.

    4. Confirm the changes in the confirmation dialog box to complete the update.

    Delete DNS records

    Warning

    Deleting a DNS record immediately makes the corresponding service unavailable. Proceed with caution. We recommend exporting and backing up your DNS data before deleting any records.

    1. On the Alibaba Cloud DNS page, click the Settings button for the target domain name.

    2. On the Settings tab, click Delete for the target DNS record.

    Disable and enable records

    • Disable a record: Disabling a DNS record in Alibaba Cloud DNS takes effect immediately. Once disabled, the record cannot be queried. However, due to caching, local DNS servers may continue to resolve the record for a period equal to its TTL.

    • Enable a record: Enabling a DNS record in Alibaba Cloud DNS takes effect immediately.

    Note

    Some ISPs may adjust the caching policies of their local DNS servers, which can cause a disabled DNS record to remain resolvable for a long time. Alibaba Cloud cannot control this behavior as it is determined by the ISP.

    1. On the Alibaba Cloud DNS page, click the Settings button for the target domain name.

    2. On the Settings page, find the target DNS record.

    3. Click the toggle switch in the Status column to disable or enable the record.

    Import records

    You can import a file that contains DNS data into the Alibaba Cloud DNS console.

    Update methods

    • Incremental Update: Preserves existing DNS records and adds new records from the file.

    • Full Update: Deletes all existing DNS records before adding the new records from the file.

    Import procedure

    1. On the Settings page, click Import/Export.

    2. Select an update method and upload your file.

    Template guidelines

    The uploaded file must be in .xls or .xlsx format. We recommend that you download the template from the Alibaba Cloud DNS console. You must format any data exported from other platforms to match this template.

    1. The template provides examples of how to configure common record types.

    2. The examples in the template are for reference only. You must delete them before you upload the file.

    3. To learn how to specify a DNS line in the template, see DNS line enumeration.

    4. The template supports importing remarks for records. Remarks are limited to 50 characters. Characters beyond this limit are not imported.

    5. The template supports importing the status of records. You can set the status to Disabled or Enabled. If you do not specify a status, it defaults to Enabled.

    Template troubleshooting

    • Template download failure: If you cannot download or open the template, try switching browsers, clearing your browser cache, or checking your network connection. Note: We do not support sending the template file via email.

    • Import stuck in "Processing": If the import remains in Processing status after uploading, wait a moment and refresh the page. If it still does not progress, check whether the file is encrypted, corrupted, or in an unsupported format (only .xls and .xlsx are supported), then try re-uploading.

    • Imported records not displayed: If records do not appear after a batch import, verify that you have selected the correct domain name and view, and refresh the page to confirm the import status.

    Third-party data conversion

    Data exported from third-party platforms is generally incompatible with the Alibaba Cloud DNS template and requires manual reformatting:

    • CNAME records: Remove the trailing dot from CNAME record values.

    • MX records: Split into multiple rows, specifying the priority value for each.

    • TXT records: Keep the quotation marks around TXT record values.

    Export records

    1. On the Settings page, click the download icon.

    2. In the Export Records dialog box, select an export format and export the records.

    Group DNS records

    If a domain has a large number of DNS records, you can organize them into groups for easier management and maintenance. For example, you can group records by function, such as A, CNAME, and MX records.

    1. On the Settings page, select the DNS records you want to group, and then click Change Group.

    2. From the All records drop-down list, you can filter records by group. This menu also lets you edit or delete existing groups, or create a new group by entering a name.

    3. In the dialog box, assign the selected records to an existing group or create a new one.

    View configured subdomains

    A subdomain is a domain created by adding a prefix to a root domain name. For example, in www.example.com and mail.example.com, www and mail are subdomain prefixes. The Settings page lists all configured DNS records for a domain, including those for its subdomains.

    1. On the Alibaba Cloud DNS page, click the Settings button for the target domain name.

    2. On the Settings tab, find the list of DNS records. The value in the Hostname column is the subdomain prefix. A record is for a subdomain if its Hostname is not @.

    3. To find a specific subdomain, use the Hostname filter to quickly locate the target record.

    Search for DNS records

    If a domain has many DNS records, you can quickly find them by using theHostname, Record Type, Query Source, Record Value, or Status filters.

    FAQ

    Why do deleted or disabled DNS records automatically restore or reappear?

    If you find that deleted or disabled DNS records reappear, check the following:

    • Third-party tools and automation scripts: Tools such as certbot or acme.sh, scheduled tasks, or automation scripts may be automatically re-adding records.

    • Alibaba Cloud service bindings: If the domain name is bound to other Alibaba Cloud services (such as Enterprise Email, CDN, or automatic SSL certificate renewal), these services may automatically synchronize DNS configurations.

    • SSL certificate notifications: If you receive a "TXT record deletion notification" but do not see the record in the console, this is typically caused by an SSL certificate auto-renewal tool that quickly deletes the verification record after successful validation. This is normal behavior.

    To identify the source, use the Operation Logs in the Alibaba Cloud DNS console to see who or what API re-added the record. Note that if a record was disabled a long time ago, the specific reason may no longer be traceable.

    Does modifying the DNS records for a single domain affect other domains?

    Modifying DNS records for a single domain only affects that domain. It does not affect DNS records for other domains under the same account or other accounts. DNS records for each domain are independent.

    Does Alibaba Cloud DNS support one-click restore to default configuration or deleting all DNS records?

    Alibaba Cloud DNS does not support one-click restore to the default configuration or bulk deletion of all DNS records. By default, a domain name has no DNS records; all records must be added manually.

    To reset a domain name's DNS configuration:

    1. Manually delete each existing DNS record one by one.

    2. For domains that are not hosted on Alibaba Cloud DNS, you must first update the DNS servers to the Alibaba Cloud-recommended NS addresses at your domain registrar. Wait for the change to propagate (typically up to 48 hours), then re-add the required DNS records in the Alibaba Cloud DNS console.