Editing DNS Zones in WHM

As a reseller, you can edit the DNS zone for any domain hosted on your Exact Hosting server through WebHost Manager (WHM). This article shows you how to open a zone, add or change records, and save your changes so that mail, web, and other services route correctly.

About DNS zones in WHM

A DNS zone is the collection of records that tell the internet where to find services for a domain, including A records for websites, MX records for email, CNAME records for aliases, and TXT records for verification and SPF. WHM hosts and serves zones for any cPanel account whose domain uses your server's nameservers.

Before you begin

• Reseller WHM access. You need WHM credentials with permission to manage DNS for the target domain.
• The domain to edit. The domain must be hosted on the server and use the server's nameservers.
• The record values. Have the host, record type, and target value ready (for example, the IP address for an A record).

Step 1: Open the Edit DNS Zone tool

1. Sign in to WHM as the reseller.
2. In the search bar, type Edit DNS Zone.
3. Click Edit DNS Zone to open the tool.

Step 2: Select the domain

1. Type the domain name in the search field.
2. Select the domain from the list of zones on the server.
3. Click Edit at the bottom of the page.

Step 3: Review existing records

The next page shows the existing DNS records for the domain, including:

• A records (point hostnames to IPv4 addresses).
• AAAA records (point hostnames to IPv6 addresses).
• CNAME records (alias one hostname to another).
• MX records (define mail servers for the domain).
• TXT records (hold verification strings, SPF, and DKIM data).
• NS records (define the domain's nameservers).

Edit any value in place to change an existing record.

Step 4: Add a new record

1. Scroll to the Add New Entries Below this Line section.
2. Enter the host name (for example, www or mail).
3. Set the TTL (Time to Live) in seconds, or leave the default.
4. Choose the record type from the drop-down list.
5. Enter the target value (for example, an IP address for an A record or another hostname for a CNAME).

Step 5: Save changes

1. Click Save at the bottom of the page.
2. Wait for WHM to display a success message.
3. Use a DNS lookup tool to confirm the new record is visible after propagation.

Next steps

• Wait for DNS propagation. Changes can take from a few minutes to several hours to appear globally, depending on TTL values.
• Verify mail and web routing. If you changed MX or A records, test that mail flows and the website still loads.
• Check the SOA record. If you make sweeping zone changes, confirm the serial number on the SOA record has incremented so other nameservers refresh their cache.

Questions? Contact Exact Hosting Support.