DNS migration and registrar transfer

Moving DNS and transferring a domain registration are different operations. You can do either one without doing the other:

Treating the two as one step makes failures harder to diagnose and roll back.

Prepare a DNS migration

1. Export the zone or record inventory from the current provider. Include SOA/NS context, A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, SRV, CAA and any delegated subdomains.

2. Record the current parent NS and DS answers:

   dig NS example.dk +short
   dig DS example.dk +short

3. Lower relevant record TTLs at the old provider far enough in advance for the previous TTLs to expire. Lowering a TTL immediately before a change does not shorten records already cached.

4. Create the zone under Zones → Add Zone. The current web interface does not provide a general zone-file import. Recreate records in the record editor. Contact support@echo-reply.net before a large move if this is not practical.

5. Compare direct answers from every NS record in the new zone with the old service. Check web, mail, verification and service-discovery records—not only the apex A record.

Avoid dig ANY as an inventory method. Authoritative servers may restrict ANY responses, and a response is not a complete zone export.

Switch the nameservers

Enter the new zone’s displayed NS values at your current registrar. Do not use a hard-coded nameserver list from this guide. Service configuration can change.

Then monitor both the parent delegation and direct authoritative answers:

dig NS example.dk +short
dig +trace NS example.dk
dig @new-nameserver.example example.dk SOA +short

Keep the old zone active until the parent and the resolver paths important to you consistently use the new service. Cache timing depends on values published before the switch.

Signed zones need a separate sequence

Do not point a signed domain at a provider using different keys while the parent still publishes the old DS record. Unless you operate a coordinated multi-signer setup, use the conservative remove-DS, wait, switch, then re-enable sequence in DNSSEC setup.

Roll back a DNS migration

Prepare rollback before changing delegation:

• retain the old provider and its zone
• save the pre-change NS and DS values
• preserve a BIND export or equivalent record inventory
• identify who can edit the registrar delegation

If the new service gives incorrect answers, leave the new zone in place for diagnosis and restore the previous nameservers at the registrar. If you removed the old DS during a safe DNSSEC migration, do not restore that DS until the old signing state and key are confirmed. Reverting delegation is also subject to parent and resolver caching, so it is recovery—not an instant undo button.

Transfer the registrar without moving DNS

In DNS by echo reply, Registration → Transfer starts the registrar-transfer wizard. An inbound transfer requires an organisation with registration-edit permission, the domain and its authorisation code. The wizard then verifies eligibility, collects the required contact details, shows the current quote, and uses Stripe Checkout when payment is due. Registry processing may be immediate or asynchronous, so rely on the status shown for that transaction rather than a generic completion estimate.

Before submitting, record the existing nameservers and verify that the transfer will retain the intended delegation. After completion, compare the registry-observed nameservers on Registered Domains with the values you recorded. If they differ, use the domain’s nameserver editor or contact support. An accepted registrar request is not the same as verified public delegation.

For registrar transfers across domain extensions, read Transfer your domain and set up DNS. For .dk-specific rules, see The new .dk model — how to choose a registrar.

Exit and export

To take DNS elsewhere:

1. In Zones, select the zones you may view and choose Export. One zone downloads as a BIND .zone file. Multiple zones download as a ZIP.
2. Import or recreate those records at the next provider and verify them directly.
3. If DNSSEC is enabled, plan the DS transition before changing delegation.
4. Change nameservers at the registrar and keep echo reply serving until the change is stable.
5. Only then delete the old echo reply zone if you no longer need it.

Deleting a zone permanently removes its records but does not cancel or transfer a linked domain registration. A registered domain must be managed separately under Registered Domains.