How to use DNS Zone Record Generator
Get the best out of DNS Zone Record Generator: every option explained, a worked example, and what to check when the output is not what you expected.
Updated August 1, 2026
What it does
Format zone files (A, CNAME, MX, TXT) with customizable TTL values instantly. It runs entirely in your browser — your input never leaves your device.
Options
Every setting this tool exposes, straight from the code that validates it.
| Option | Type | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
domain | text | example.com | Zone the records belong to. Defaults to example.com. |
format | one of: BIND, JSON | BIND | The output format pattern. Defaults to BIND. |
ttl | text | 3600 | Defaults to 3600. |
includeSoa | true / false | true | Includes the SOA record that starts an authoritative zone file. Defaults to true. |
nsServer | text | ns1.example.com. | Primary nameserver named in the SOA record. Defaults to ns1.example.com.. |
adminEmail | text | admin.example.com. | Zone administrator's address, written in SOA format. Defaults to admin.example.com.. |
serial | text | 2026051701 | Zone serial number. Increase it whenever the zone changes so secondaries reload. Defaults to 2026051701. |
records | list of object | [{"name":"@","type":"A","value":"192.168.1.10","ttl":"3600"},{"name":"www","type":"CNAME","value":"example.com","ttl":"3600"},{"name":"mail","type":"A","value":"192.168.1.20","ttl":"3600"},{"name":"@","type":"MX","value":"mail.example.com.","ttl":"3600","priority":"10"}] | Defaults to [{"name":"@","type":"A","value":"192.168.1.10","ttl":"3600"},{"name":"www","type":"CNAME","value":"example.com","ttl":"3600"},{"name":"mail","type":"A","value":"192.168.1.20","ttl":"3600"},{"name":"@","type":"MX","value":"mail.example.com.","ttl":"3600","priority":"10"}]. |
Worked example
Run these settings on the tool page:
domain:example.comformat:BINDttl:3600includeSoa:truensServer:ns1.example.com.adminEmail:admin.example.com.serial:2026051701records:[{"name":"@","type":"A","value":"192.168.1.10","ttl":"3600"},{"name":"www","type":"CNAME","value":"example.com","ttl":"3600"},{"name":"mail","type":"A","value":"192.168.1.20","ttl":"3600"},{"name":"@","type":"MX","value":"mail.example.com.","ttl":"3600","priority":"10"}]
You get:
$ORIGIN example.com.
$TTL 3600
@ IN SOA ns1.example.com. admin.example.com. (
2026051701 ; serial
7200 ; refresh (2 hours)
3600 ; retry (1 hour)
1209600 ; expire (2 weeks)
3600 ; minimum (1 hour)
)
@ IN NS ns1.example.com.
@ IN 3600 A 192.168.1.10
www IN 3600 CNAME example.com
mail IN 3600 A 192.168.1.20
@ IN 3600 MX 10 mail.example.com.
Getting the result you want
Most of the control here is in the options above. If the output is not what you expected, the setting to check first is domain and format — those change the shape of the output rather than the input it accepts.
Troubleshooting
- It is slow on very large input. Everything runs in your browser, so speed depends on your device. Very large inputs are best split up, or run through the API where the work happens on our servers.
Automating it
The same logic is available as a REST endpoint, so you can run it from a script, a CI job or your own app.
Bashcurl "https://api.toolsxpo.com/v1/dns-record-generator" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOOLSXPO_KEY"
It costs 1 credit per successful call. See the full endpoint reference, or try it in the playground.
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