{"id":3639,"date":"2025-11-22T08:21:36","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T08:21:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/?p=3639"},"modified":"2026-03-06T13:10:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T13:10:00","slug":"how-to-update-dns-records-without-downtime-in-cpanel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/how-to-update-dns-records-without-downtime-in-cpanel\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Update DNS Records Without Downtime in cPanel"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rugVSMEPQFM?rel=0;si=vHHcMUgZTUp84HTi\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Updating your DNS records shouldn\u2019t break your website, emails, or any of your services. And honestly, downtime is one thing no business wants \u2014 even a few minutes can affect sales, contacts, or trust.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/how-to-update-dns-records-without-downtime-in-cpanel\/#Why_DNS_Updates_Cause_Downtime\" >Why DNS Updates Cause Downtime<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/how-to-update-dns-records-without-downtime-in-cpanel\/#Step_1_Gather_the_New_DNS_Values_First\" >Step 1: Gather the New DNS Values First<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/how-to-update-dns-records-without-downtime-in-cpanel\/#Step_2_Log_in_to_Your_telaHosting_cPanel\" >Step 2: Log in to Your telaHosting cPanel<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/how-to-update-dns-records-without-downtime-in-cpanel\/#Step_3_Add_New_DNS_Records_Without_Deleting_the_Old_Ones\" >Step 3: Add New DNS Records Without Deleting the Old Ones<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/how-to-update-dns-records-without-downtime-in-cpanel\/#Step_4_Lower_the_TTL_Optional_but_Powerful\" >Step 4: Lower the TTL (Optional but Powerful)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/how-to-update-dns-records-without-downtime-in-cpanel\/#Step_5_Test_the_New_Server_or_Service_Before_Final_Switch\" >Step 5: Test the New Server or Service Before Final Switch<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/how-to-update-dns-records-without-downtime-in-cpanel\/#Step_6_Monitor_DNS_Propagation\" >Step 6: Monitor DNS Propagation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/how-to-update-dns-records-without-downtime-in-cpanel\/#Step_7_Remove_Old_DNS_Records_Only_After_Propagation\" >Step 7: Remove Old DNS Records Only After Propagation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/how-to-update-dns-records-without-downtime-in-cpanel\/#Best_Practices_to_Avoid_Downtime_Completely\" >Best Practices to Avoid Downtime Completely<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/how-to-update-dns-records-without-downtime-in-cpanel\/#Common_Mistakes_to_Avoid\" >Common Mistakes to Avoid<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/how-to-update-dns-records-without-downtime-in-cpanel\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/how-to-update-dns-records-without-downtime-in-cpanel\/#FAQs\" >FAQs<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_DNS_Updates_Cause_Downtime\"><\/span><strong>Why DNS Updates Cause Downtime<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Downtime usually happens when:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A DNS record is deleted too early<\/li>\n<li>A wrong record is added<\/li>\n<li>DNS is changed before the new server is ready<\/li>\n<li>Duplicate or conflicting records exist<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/what-is-dns-propagation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Propagation<\/a> hasn\u2019t fully completed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The trick is to <strong>prepare first<\/strong>, update <strong>correctly<\/strong>, and only switch traffic when you\u2019re sure everything works.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_Gather_the_New_DNS_Values_First\"><\/span><strong>Step 1: Gather the New DNS Values First<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Before touching anything in cPanel, make sure you have the new DNS details ready. That could be:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A new <strong>A-record IP address<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>A new <strong>CNAME value<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>New <strong>MX records<\/strong> for email<\/li>\n<li>Updated <strong>TXT records<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>New <strong>SRV details<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Make sure everything is complete. This step alone prevents 90% of downtime.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_Log_in_to_Your_telaHosting_cPanel\"><\/span><strong>Step 2: Log in to Your telaHosting cPanel<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To start, log in to your cPanel account. You can do this through:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The direct URL provided by us at telaHosting (something like yourdomain.com\/cpanel), or<\/li>\n<li>Through your telaHosting Client Area using your registered email and password then click on\u00a0<strong>\u201clog in to cPanel\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0next to your hosting account.<\/li>\n<li>Once you\u2019re in, scroll to the <strong>Domains<\/strong> section and select <strong>Zone Editor \u2192 Manage<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img data-dominant-color=\"cdcfd9\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #cdcfd9;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3460 aligncenter not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Locate-the-Domains-Section-1-711x400.avif\" alt=\"Find DNS Zone Editor\" width=\"711\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Locate-the-Domains-Section-1-711x400.avif 711w, https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Locate-the-Domains-Section-1-768x432.avif 768w, https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Locate-the-Domains-Section-1.avif 1366w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 711px) 100vw, 711px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>That is where all your DNS records live.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_Add_New_DNS_Records_Without_Deleting_the_Old_Ones\"><\/span><strong>Step 3: Add New DNS Records Without Deleting the Old Ones<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This is the most important rule if you want <strong>zero downtime<\/strong>. Don\u2019t remove the existing records yet. Here\u2019s what to do instead:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>If you\u2019re updating an A-record: <\/strong>Add the <strong>new A-record<\/strong> with the same name, but keep the old one temporarily.<\/li>\n<li><strong>If you\u2019re updating a CNAME: <\/strong>Add the new one, but do NOT delete old one yet.<\/li>\n<li><strong>If you\u2019re updating MX records: <\/strong>Add the new MX records first \u2014 leave the old ones untouched for now.<\/li>\n<li><strong>If you\u2019re updating TXT (SPF, DKIM, etc.):<\/strong> Add the new TXT record and keep the old record until everything is confirmed working.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Because DNS propagation takes time, and during this period, some users will still reach the old server while others reach the new one. Keeping both allows everyone to stay connected.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_4_Lower_the_TTL_Optional_but_Powerful\"><\/span><strong>Step 4: Lower the TTL (Optional but Powerful)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>TTL means <strong>Time To Live<\/strong>: how long servers should cache your DNS. If you lower TTL before updating DNS, changes propagate faster.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Recommended TTL: <\/strong>300 seconds (5 minutes)<strong>. <\/strong>This step helps speed up the switch, but it\u2019s optional.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_5_Test_the_New_Server_or_Service_Before_Final_Switch\"><\/span><strong>Step 5: Test the New Server or Service Before Final Switch<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve added the new DNS record:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Try opening the new server\u2019s IP directly<\/li>\n<li>Use a temporary link if provided<\/li>\n<li>Test email sending\/receiving if updating MX<\/li>\n<li>Check SSL on the new server<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You want to confirm the new service is working before redirecting all traffic.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_6_Monitor_DNS_Propagation\"><\/span><strong>Step 6: Monitor DNS Propagation<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Use any of the following tools:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dnschecker.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dnschecker<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whatsmydns.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">whatsmydns<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mxtoolbox.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mxtoolbox<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Enter your domain and select the specific DNS record you updated (A, MX, CNAME, etc.). You should begin seeing updates gradually.<\/p>\n<p>As long as both the old and new records exist, <strong>no downtime will occur<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_7_Remove_Old_DNS_Records_Only_After_Propagation\"><\/span><strong>Step 7: Remove Old DNS Records Only After Propagation<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Once the propagation shows worldwide updates and everything works correctly<strong>, you can delete the old record(s).<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is the final cleanup step. Doing it earlier causes downtime, but doing it last ensures a smooth transition.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Best_Practices_to_Avoid_Downtime_Completely\"><\/span><strong>Best Practices to Avoid Downtime Completely<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Always add new DNS before removing old ones<\/li>\n<li>Never edit a live record directly \u2014 create a new one first<\/li>\n<li>Lower TTL before big changes<\/li>\n<li>Test everything before deleting anything<\/li>\n<li>Avoid multiple conflicting A or CNAME records<\/li>\n<li>Ensure SSL is active on the new server<\/li>\n<li>Wait for full propagation before removing old DNS<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_Mistakes_to_Avoid\"><\/span><strong>Common Mistakes to Avoid<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Deleting the old A-record before adding the new one: <\/strong>This causes instant downtime.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Updating MX records without enabling email on the new service: <\/strong>Emails will bounce.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Adding wrong IP or hostname: <\/strong>Your site becomes unreachable.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Having both A and CNAME for the same name: <\/strong>This breaks DNS.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Not waiting for propagation:<\/strong> Some users see the site, others don\u2019t.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Updating DNS doesn\u2019t have to cause downtime, not even for a few minutes. As long as you add new records first, test everything carefully, and only remove old records after propagation, your services will stay live and stable throughout the entire process.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re switching hosting providers, moving emails, or connecting to a new app, this step-by-step method keeps your website running without interruption.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs\"><\/span><strong>FAQs<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>1. How long does DNS propagation take?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>5 minutes to 24 hour.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Can I update DNS without affecting my email?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yes \u2014 just don\u2019t delete or modify MX records until the new service is ready.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Do I need to lower TTL?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Not required, but it speeds up the transition.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. What happens if I add wrong DNS?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You can easily delete it. The old one still works until propagation completes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Will telaHosting help me with DNS migration?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Absolutely \u2014 our support team can handle everything for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ufeff Updating your DNS records shouldn\u2019t break your website, emails, or any of your services. And honestly, downtime is one thing no business wants \u2014 even a few minutes can affect sales, contacts, or trust. Why DNS Updates Cause Downtime Downtime usually happens when: A DNS record is deleted too early A wrong record is&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":3641,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[40,60],"class_list":["post-3639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cpanel","tag-cpanel","tag-dns"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3639"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3994,"href":"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3639\/revisions\/3994"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/telahosting.com\/manual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}