> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://datum.net/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Domains and DNS

> Track and verify your domains in Datum, and host their DNS on Datum's global authoritative DNS.

Datum treats domains and DNS zones as resources in your project. You track and verify domains wherever they're registered, and host their DNS on Datum's global anycast network, all through the same API as the rest of Datum.

> **[Domains](https://datum.net/docs/domain-dns/domains.md)**
>
> Track domains wherever they are registered, and verify ownership to use them with other Datum services.

> **[DNS](https://datum.net/docs/domain-dns/dns.md)**
>
> Host authoritative DNS for your zones on Datum's global anycast network.

## How it works

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart LR
  Y["You<br/>Cloud Portal · datumctl dns<br/>GitOps · ExternalDNS"]
  subgraph proj["Your project"]
    Z["DNSZone<br/>example.com"]
    R["DNSRecordSet<br/>www A 203.0.113.10"]
  end
  A["Datum authoritative DNS<br/>ns1–ns4.datumdomains.net"]
  Q["Resolvers worldwide"]

  Y --> Z
  Y --> R
  Z --> A
  R --> A
  Q -->|"DNS queries · anycast"| A

  classDef box fill:#E6E6E6,stroke:#8A8E99,color:#222
  class Y,Z,R,A,Q box
  style proj fill:#EDEDEC,stroke:#8A8E99,color:#B5605E
  linkStyle 0,1,2,3,4 stroke:#5A5F6B,stroke-width:1.4px
```

* **Zones and records are resources.** A `DNSZone` holds one domain, and each `DNSRecordSet` holds the records at a name in that zone. They live in your project, with the same access control and [activity logs](https://datum.net/docs/operations/activity-logs.md) as everything else.
* **Datum serves them worldwide.** Datum programs your records into its authoritative DNS and publishes them to nameservers on its global anycast network. Each zone and record reports `Programmed` once Datum is serving it.
* **Your registrar points the internet at Datum.** Your domain resolves through Datum once your registrar lists Datum's nameservers.

## Ways to manage DNS

* **[Cloud Portal](https://cloud.datum.net)** for zones, records, and zone file import and export.
* **The [`datumctl dns` plugin](https://datum.net/docs/domain-dns/operations)** for the terminal and scripts, including delegation checks, zone file import, and drift checks.
* **Manifests and [GitOps](https://datum.net/docs/datumctl/gitops.md)**, to keep zones and records in Git. See [Manage DNS with manifests](https://datum.net/docs/domain-dns/operations.md#manage-dns-with-manifests).
* **[ExternalDNS](https://datum.net/docs/domain-dns/operations.md#automate-records-with-externaldns)**, to create records automatically for services in your own Kubernetes clusters.
* **AI agents**, with [Datum MCP](https://datum.net/docs/agents/datum-mcp.md) or the [DNS skill](https://datum.net/docs/agents/skills/dns.md).

Domains and DNS work together with the [Application Load Balancer](https://datum.net/docs/alb/overview.md): a verified domain can serve traffic on a load balancer, and a Datum-hosted zone can point at it. See [Point a domain at a load balancer](https://datum.net/docs/domain-dns/point-to-alb.md).

## Get started

> **[Move a zone to Datum](https://datum.net/docs/domain-dns/operations.md#move-a-zone-to-datum)**
>
> Import your records, check DNSSEC, and point your domain at Datum.

> **[Check that DNS is live](https://datum.net/docs/domain-dns/observability.md)**
>
> See whether records are serving and your domain is delegated.


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