Scheduled DNS Changes

Schedule DNS record changes to execute automatically at a future time. Perfect for planned maintenance windows, coordinated deployments, and time-sensitive updates.

Overview

Scheduled DNS changes allow you to plan DNS record modifications in advance. Instead of manually executing changes during a maintenance window (potentially at odd hours), you can schedule them ahead of time and let AnchorDNS execute them automatically.

This feature is particularly useful for:

  • Planned maintenance - Schedule DNS updates during low-traffic periods without staying up late
  • Coordinated deployments - Align DNS changes with application deployments for seamless cutover
  • Time-sensitive updates - Schedule changes days in advance for precise execution timing
  • Multi-timezone teams - Schedule changes during your business hours that execute during off-hours elsewhere
  • Temporary records - Schedule both creation and automatic deletion for testing or event-based records

Supported Operations

Create DNS Record

Schedule the creation of a new DNS record at a specific time. Useful for planned service launches or infrastructure additions.

Update DNS Record

Schedule updates to existing DNS records. Perfect for IP address changes, content updates, or TTL modifications during a maintenance window.

Delete DNS Record

Schedule the deletion of DNS records. Great for decommissioning services, removing temporary test records, or cleaning up after events.

1

Scheduling a DNS Change

To schedule a DNS change:

  1. Navigate to your domain's DNS records page
  2. For existing records, click the "Schedule Delete" button next to the record you want to modify or delete
  3. In the schedule dialog, select the date and time for execution (must be at least 1 minute in the future)
  4. Review the scheduled change details
  5. Click "Schedule Change" to confirm

The scheduled change will appear in your scheduled changes list with a "pending" status.

2

Managing Scheduled Changes

View all scheduled changes for a domain by clicking "View Scheduled Changes" on the DNS records page.

The scheduled changes page shows:

  • Operation type - Create, update, or delete
  • Status - Pending, executed, failed, or cancelled
  • DNS record details - What will be changed
  • Scheduled time - When the change will execute
  • Creator information - Who scheduled the change

You can cancel any pending scheduled change before it executes by clicking the "Cancel" button.

3

Automatic Execution

Scheduled changes are processed automatically every minute. When your scheduled time arrives:

  1. AnchorDNS validates your workspace subscription status
  2. The DNS change is executed (create, update, or delete)
  3. The scheduled change status is updated to "executed" or "failed"
  4. You receive an email notification with the results

Email Notifications

You'll receive email notifications for:

  • Successful execution - Confirmation that your DNS change was applied
  • Failed execution - Error details if the change could not be completed

Emails include full details about the operation, DNS record information, and execution time.

Best Practices

  • Schedule ahead - Create scheduled changes well in advance (days or weeks) to ensure they're queued and ready
  • Consider TTL values - Remember that DNS changes take time to propagate based on TTL. If changing a record with a 24-hour TTL, consider reducing the TTL days before your scheduled change
  • Test first - Test your DNS changes in a non-production domain before scheduling production changes
  • Coordinate with deployments - For application deployments, schedule DNS changes to execute after your new infrastructure is ready
  • Monitor execution - Check your email notifications and the scheduled changes page to confirm successful execution
  • Maintain active subscription - Ensure your workspace has an active subscription at execution time. Failed payments can prevent scheduled changes from executing

Error Handling

Scheduled changes may fail if:

  • The workspace no longer has an active subscription
  • The domain or DNS record was deleted before execution
  • The DNS record data is invalid
  • A system error occurs during processing

When a scheduled change fails:

  • The status is updated to "failed"
  • The error message is recorded for debugging
  • You receive an email notification with error details
  • You can review the failure in the scheduled changes list

To retry a failed change, simply create a new scheduled change with the desired settings.

Ready to Schedule DNS Changes?

Log in to your AnchorDNS dashboard and start scheduling DNS changes today.

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