Why isn't my DNS change showing up yet?

It's almost always caching, not a broken change. Check the old record's TTL: resolvers keep serving the cached value until it expires, even after you've updated the record.

Can I edit DNS if my domain uses custom nameservers?

No. Flashcloud's DNS editor only works for domains pointed at ns1.flashcloud.com and ns2.flashcloud.com. On custom nameservers, manage records at your DNS provider instead.

How do I point my domain to Google Workspace for email?

Delete the existing MX record and add Google's five MX records at priorities 1, 5, 5, 10, and 10, pointing to their ASPMX servers. Then update your SPF TXT record to include _spf.google.com and add the DKIM record from your Google admin console.

Why can't I add a CNAME record to my root domain?

CNAME records aren't allowed on the root (@), only on subdomains like www. Use an A record at the root instead, pointing to your server's IPv4 address.

What TTL should I use before making a DNS change?

Flashcloud defaults every record to a 1 hour TTL. If you're planning a change, drop the relevant record's TTL to 5 minutes about 24 hours ahead of time so the update propagates almost instantly when you make it.

DNS records and how to manage them

DNS records are how the internet knows where your domain points. We give you a full record editor at the domain detail page — edit anything, add new records, delete old ones.

How to access the editor

Go to Domains and click your domain.
Open the DNS subpage.

You'll see a table of records with type, name, value, and TTL. Add, edit, or delete records — changes take effect within a minute or two on our nameservers (longer for visitors whose ISPs have cached the old values).

Note: the editor only works for domains using our nameservers (ns1.flashcloud.com / ns2.flashcloud.com). If you're on custom nameservers, manage DNS at your DNS provider.

Common record types

A record

Maps a name to an IPv4 address. Example:

Name: @ (or yourdomain.com)
Type: A
Value: 192.0.2.1

This is what makes your domain load a specific server.

AAAA record

Same as A but for IPv6.

CNAME

Maps a name to another name. Example:

Name: www
Type: CNAME
Value: yourdomain.com

This makes www.yourdomain.com an alias for yourdomain.com. Note: you can't have a CNAME on the root (@) — only on subdomains.

MX record

Tells email senders where to deliver mail. Example:

Name: @
Type: MX
Priority: 10
Value: mail.yourdomain.com

If you're using our hosting email, we set MX records automatically. If you're using Google Workspace or another provider, you'll add their MX records here.

TXT record

Holds arbitrary text. Used for:

SPF — "this server is allowed to send mail for this domain."
DKIM — email signing keys.
DMARC — email authentication policy.
Domain verification — Google, Microsoft, and similar services use TXT records to prove ownership.

NS record

For subdomains, NS records delegate the subdomain's DNS to a different nameserver. Advanced — most users don't touch these.

SRV, CAA, PTR, others

Specialty records for specific protocols (SIP, mail, certificate authorities). The editor supports them all; if you need one, you probably already know the syntax.

TTL (time-to-live)

Each record has a TTL, in seconds, that tells resolvers how long to cache the value. Common defaults:

5 minutes — for records you might change soon.
1 hour — typical default.
24 hours — for records that almost never change.

A shorter TTL means changes propagate faster but slightly more DNS traffic. A longer TTL is more cache-efficient but slower to roll out changes.

We default to 1 hour. If you're planning a DNS change, drop the relevant record's TTL to 5 minutes 24 hours in advance — when the change happens, propagation is near-instant.

Default records when you add a domain

When you add a domain to your hosting, we automatically create:

@ A record → your hosting's IP.
www A record → same IP.
mail A record → your hosting's mail server (if you have email enabled).
MX record → mail.yourdomain.com.
SPF TXT record → including our sending servers.
DKIM TXT record → for outgoing mail signing.

You can edit, delete, or add to these freely.

Common changes

"I want to use Google Workspace email"

Replace the existing MX record with Google's:

@ MX 1  ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM
@ MX 5  ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM
@ MX 5  ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM
@ MX 10 ALT3.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM
@ MX 10 ALT4.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM

Update SPF to include _spf.google.com. Add DKIM from your Google admin.

"I want to verify ownership for Google Search Console / Apple Business / etc."

Add the TXT record they give you. Example:

Name: @
Type: TXT
Value: google-site-verification=abc123...

"I want to point a subdomain at a different server"

Name: blog
Type: A
Value: <other-server-ip>

Or for subdomains pointing at a specific service:

Name: shop
Type: CNAME
Value: shopify.com

When DNS changes don't take effect

If your DNS change isn't visible:

Check the TTL of the previous record. Resolvers cache for the old TTL even after you've changed the record.
Check it propagated to our nameservers — query dig @ns1.flashcloud.com yourdomain.com from a terminal. If we have the new value, the change is on our end.
Flush your DNS cache — see How long does propagation take? for OS-specific commands.
Try a different DNS resolver (1.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8) to check if it's just your ISP being slow.

Most apparent "DNS not working" issues are caching. Wait it out, or pre-lower TTLs next time.