Help CentreMonitor Types
DNS — detect record changes
A DNS monitor checks that a specific DNS record for your domain matches the value you expect. If the record changes — due to a misconfiguration, an accidental update, or a security incident — the monitor goes DOWN and you are alerted immediately.
Why DNS monitoring matters
DNS changes can take your website offline or redirect your visitors to the wrong server without any HTTP error being generated. A standard website monitor would not catch this. DNS monitoring adds an extra layer of protection by watching the records themselves.
Supported record types
| Record type | What it stores |
|---|---|
| A | The IPv4 address for a domain (e.g. yourwebsite.com → 1.2.3.4) |
| AAAA | The IPv6 address for a domain |
| CNAME | An alias pointing one domain to another |
| MX | The mail server responsible for receiving email for a domain |
| TXT | Text records, commonly used for SPF, DKIM, and domain verification |
| NS | The nameservers authoritative for a domain |
How to configure it
- Set the Monitor type to DNS.
- Enter the Hostname — the domain to query, for example
yourwebsite.com. - Select the Record type you want to watch.
- Enter the Expected value — the value the record should currently resolve to. If the actual value ever differs from this, the monitor goes DOWN.
To find the current value of a DNS record, you can use a tool like MXToolbox DNS Lookup or run
nslookup yourwebsite.com in a terminal.Plan availability
DNS monitoring is available on Starter, Pro, and Team plans.