DNS monitoring for resolution, records, and overall zone health
Step back from a single record: see whether your names resolve, which record types matter for traffic and mail, and when propagation or provider issues skew results — before SSL and HTTP checks even run.
When you need to assert specific record sets and catch drift, see DNS record monitoring — A/MX/TXT drift.
Why DNS is the first place outages hide
DNS points users, email, and APIs to the right place. An accidental edit, provider migration, or malicious change can redirect traffic or break services even when servers are healthy.
What DNS monitoring checks
Configure expected answers for record types such as A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, and more depending on your setup. SitePuls compares live DNS results with your expectations on each run.
Spot unexpected changes
When values or TTLs drift, you get an incident. That helps catch typos during cutovers and unexpected edits long before SSL or HTTP checks alone would tell the whole story.
Business-critical records
MX records power email; TXT holds verification tokens; A/AAAA records steer traffic. Monitoring the records you rely on reduces “it works on my machine” surprises after DNS edits.
What you can verify with SitePuls here
- DNS monitors cover common record types you select in the UI (such as A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, and TXT, depending on configuration).
- Optionally compare live DNS answers to expected values when you provide them.
- Checks run on the schedule allowed for your plan, similar to other monitor types.
Where incident alerts can go
- Email addresses saved as alert contacts receive messages when incidents open or resolve (according to your notification settings).
- Telegram notifications via the SitePuls bot after you link a chat to an alert contact (including the bot /start flow for pending contacts).
- HTTPS webhooks that receive JSON with event type, monitor identifiers, status, timestamp, optional incident id, and a short message for generic integrations.
- Slack-compatible incoming-webhook formatting: alert contacts can use a dedicated mode so payloads match Slack-style incoming webhook expectations.
Alerts and triage
Failures notify the same contacts you already use: email, Telegram, webhook. Incidents include timing so you can correlate with deploys or registrar changes.
Pair with domain expiry
Paid domains can still serve wrong DNS if records are wrong — monitor both lifecycle and content.
Related monitors
Combine with website and SSL checks for end-to-end visibility from resolution to HTTPS responses.
Getting started
Define the hostname, record type, expected values, interval, and contacts. SitePuls queries DNS from our infrastructure on that schedule.
Frequently asked questions
What is DNS monitoring?
DNS monitoring checks that your domain's DNS records resolve correctly and match expected values. If resolution fails or a record changes, you get an alert. It helps you catch misconfigurations and DNS issues before users are affected.
Which record types can I monitor?
SitePuls can check common record types such as A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, and others. You configure what to check and what to expect; the monitor alerts you when the result doesn't match.
Why monitor DNS?
DNS problems can make your site or email unreachable. Monitoring helps you notice when records change or stop resolving so you can fix issues quickly. It complements website and SSL monitoring for full stack visibility.
Which DNS providers are supported?
SitePuls queries public DNS as clients would. Any provider that publishes records publicly can be monitored — Cloudflare, Route53, Google Domains, etc.
Can I monitor multiple subdomains?
Yes. Create monitors for each hostname or record you need to watch.
How fast will I know about a change?
Detection lines up with your check interval and plan limits. Shorter intervals catch drift faster.
Does this replace registrar DNSSEC tooling?
SitePuls focuses on record values and resolution. Advanced DNSSEC diagnostics may still belong in registrar or specialized tooling.
What if I use a CDN?
Point monitors at the hostnames users resolve. You can assert CNAME/A records that should match your CDN configuration after changes.