Making changes to your DNS records? Then you have probably seen the term TTL. This TTL raises questions for many domain administrators, and we at my.host understand that well. That’s why we clarify in this article what TTL is exactly and how to use it.
Read the article below to get answers to the following questions and topics:
- What TTL stands for;
- What TTL is used for within a DNS record;
- The values you choose for the TTL.
What “TTL” stands for
TTL stands for “Time To Live” and practically means a kind of timer for how long a record is cached by the DNS.
The DNS stands for Domain Name System and is a system consisting of databases. These databases then convert IP addresses to the domain name you have thought of and requested. DNS can also keep track of website names and corresponding IP addresses.
The Time To Live, or TTL, indicates within these domain systems how long it holds a record before you need to make a new request. Additionally, TTL indicates how quickly and how often the references to records in the domain name system change.
What TTL is used for within a DNS record
When you want to change your IP address, it is useful to set a TTL. You do this to prevent your website from being temporarily unusable or unreachable. This period is often referred to as “downtime,” and you prefer to avoid it at all times.
Also, when making other changes to your DNS, it is always a good idea to set a Time To Live (TTL). This way, the users of your website will not be affected by changes, and traffic can continue to come.
Remember to set the TTL at a time when you are actually going to make changes, as a TTL often does not last days, and it is not recommended for your website and DNS. You’re just delaying the time, after which it will be checked if a DNS record has changed.
The values you choose for the TTL
For the TTL, you choose from a number of values that you set, which differ in minimum, default, and maximum TTL.
The minimum TTL has a value of 600 seconds and therefore, you set it at least this long. This TTL equals 10 minutes during which no changes in the DNS record are checked for.
The default TTL has a value of 3600 seconds, which equals 1 hour. During this hour, no changes are checked for, and your website remains live.
The maximum TTL has a value of 86,400 seconds, 24 hours during which you can make changes to your DNS or IP address without your website going down.
It is also possible to choose other values, but we recommend never going below 300 seconds. This is because large providers like KPN or Ziggo often do not accept this.
The services of my.host
At my.host, we offer various services that make it easier to manage a website and thereby a domain. For instance, we offer web hosting or the registration or transfer of domain names.
Check our services for more information or send us a message with requests or questions.
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