Why is it important to monitor my DNS records?
Did you know that if you change your domain's nameservers, you risk not only taking down the website but the email service too? Well, I didn't. It was my first few weeks on the job as a web developer, and I was tasked with launching a new site for a client. We were moving from one host to another, and the host's instructions recommended we just use their nameservers. Easy, right? I just logged into the domain's registrar and updated the nameservers per the instructions and the new site was live within minutes.
I emailed the client to let them know the good news but was puzzled when I received a bounceback. I received a bounceback because their email servers were no longer connected to their domain. Their email servers were no longer connected to their domain because I had updated their nameservers, not realizing that their old DNS records were not migrated over. I didn't even know what a DNS record was. All I knew was that their email was down, and I had no idea what their old DNS records were.
I frantically searched the internet for "DNS record archives" and "How to view your DNS history" and stumbled upon a few solutions. Fortunately, I was able to restore their original DNS records and get their email back. Crisis averted.
Because of this terrifying experience, I always make sure to keep a backup of my DNS records. Heck, I've even gone as far as to develop software to monitor changes in DNS records. If you find yourself needing access to your domain's DNS history, try the services below.
Best DNS History Lookup Services
Complete DNS
Largest DNS record history database, with more than 2.2 billion nameserver changes detected, daily updated. Our premium bulk domain history checker allows to lookup up to 5,000 domains at once.
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Price
- Free to $160.00 per month
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Best For
- Anyone who needs to access the nameserver history of many domains.
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Notes
- Only monitors changes in Nameservers and not changes in DNS records.
- They only accept PayPal payments.
SecurityTrails
Self-proclaimed as "The World's Largest Repository of historical DNS data". SecurtiyTrails retains data for security companies, researchers, and teams who need to drill down, find suspicious changes to DNS records, and prevent future fraudulent or criminal activity.
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Price
- Free to $1,500.00 per month
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Best For
- Security companies, researchers, and teams.
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Notes
- This is enterprise-level software and is probably overkill for anyone who just needs access to old DNS records.
- Their archive goes back 11 years.
DNS Spy
DNS Spy monitors, validates, and verifies your DNS configurations. As soon as a record changes, you'll receive an alert.
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Price
- €4.99 to €19.00 per month (free for Open Source projects)
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Best For
- Anyone who is concerned with the security and performance of their DNS configuration.
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Notes
- Notifies you of any known DNS RFCs or best practices violations.
- Generates a report with recommendations and warnings.
Spyse
Spyse collects all publicly available data about websites, servers, their owners, and devices connected to the Internet. Use Spyse to discover security risks and implicit connections between those Internet entities.
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Price
- Free to $18.00 per month
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Best For
- Anyone looking to find relationships and patterns between different domains.
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Notes
- See related domains based on shared DNS records, page titles, and other attributes.
- This is a very powerful tool and does so much more than archive DNS history.
DomainTools
Domain name research, including comprehensive Whois Lookup, Reverse Whois Lookup, and Whois History. Domain name monitoring tools and buyer/seller tools
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Price
- Free to $18.00 per month
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Best For
- Anyone looking to find relationships and patterns between different domains.
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Notes
- See related domains based on shared DNS records, page titles, and other attributes.
- This is a very powerful tool and does so much more than archive DNS history.
What should I consider when choosing DNS archival software?
Chances are that if you're concerned with monitoring your DNS records, you're probably also concerned with monitoring your whole website through website screenshot software. My Site Archive not only monitors DNS records but also generates screenshots and captures the source code of websites.
If you want to see all that My Site Archive has to offer, checkout out the features or FAQs or reach out directly to me at stevepolito@hey.com. You can always sign up today for a 30-day free trial. No credit card required.