What Is It?
Cloud DNS is a fully managed, highly available DNS service that publishes and controls domain names on a global network. Built around primary zones (authoritative zones you create and manage) and records that define how domain names resolve to IP addresses or other resources, the service operates from 14 Points of Presence (POPs) in Europe and the USA. Cloud DNS includes security features such as DDoS protection and DNSSEC support for signed zones.
Quick Facts
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Fully managed SaaS DNS service |
| Global Network | 14 POPs in Europe & USA |
| Zone Types | Primary (authoritative), Secondary (read-only replica) |
| Record Types Supported | 21 types (A, AAAA, CNAME, ALIAS, MX, NS, SOA, SRV, TXT, CAA, SSHFP, TLSA, SMIMEA, DS, HTTPS, SVCB, OPENPGPKEY, CERT, URI, RP, LOC) |
| IPv4/IPv6 | Full support for both address families |
| Reverse DNS | PTR records for reserved IPv4 and VDC-assigned IPv6 |
| Security | DDoS protection, DNSSEC |
| Management | DCD UI, Cloud DNS API, Terraform |
Default PTR Format
IPv4 reverse DNS automatically generates PTR records following this pattern:
ipAAA-BBB-CCC-DDD.pbiaas.com
where AAA-BBB-CCC-DDD represents the four IPv4 octets.
What You Can Do
Primary and Secondary Zones
Create authoritative primary zones containing all DNS records for your domains. Set up secondary zones as read-only replicas (AXFR mirror) for name-server redundancy and disaster recovery. Cloud DNS provides authoritative DNS; it is not health-aware and does not perform native failover routing. Any failover between endpoints must be orchestrated by the customer (for example, by re-pointing records).
Comprehensive Record Management
Add, update, and delete records across 21 supported types including A, AAAA, CNAME, ALIAS, MX, NS, SOA, SRV, TXT, CAA, SSHFP, TLSA, SMIMEA, DS, HTTPS, SVCB, OPENPGPKEY, CERT, URI, RP, and LOC.
Reverse DNS Configuration
Create PTR records for reserved IPv4 addresses and public IPv6 addresses assigned to VDCs. IPv6 reverse DNS requires a /128 host address that belongs to a /56 block allocated to the VDC.
Note: Reverse DNS is only available for reserved IPv4 addresses (must be reserved through IP Management UI first) and public IPv6 addresses assigned to VDCs.
Fast Propagation
Changes propagate quickly across the global network, typically within seconds to minutes, minimizing downtime during migrations or updates.
API-Driven Automation
Create, update, and delete zones and records programmatically via the Cloud DNS API. Integrate with infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform and Kubernetes ExternalDNS for automated record updates.
Role-Based Access Control
Grant "Access and manage DNS" privilege to groups for delegated management. Control which users can create, edit, or delete zones and records. Sub-users can manage reverse DNS only if their group has access to the relevant IP block.
Zone State Management
Enable or disable zones as needed. Disabling a zone removes its SOA record and stops DNS resolution by IONOS nameservers.
Best For
| Scenario | Why It Fits |
|---|---|
| Multi-domain management | Centralized UI and API for managing multiple domains and zones |
| Kubernetes deployments | ExternalDNS integration automatically updates DNS records for ingress resources |
| Infrastructure as code | Terraform provider enables declarative DNS configuration |
| High availability requirements | Anycast network with redundant servers, network links, power, and data centers |
| Globally distributed services | 14 POPs ensure fast resolution from nearest location |
| IPv6 deployments | Full IPv4/IPv6 support including reverse DNS for VDC-assigned addresses |
| Secure DNS infrastructure | Built-in DDoS protection and DNSSEC support |
Key Considerations
Billing & Costs
- Pricing: A Cloud DNS pricing model is not published in the IONOS Cloud Service Catalog or price list. Consult IONOS for current Cloud DNS pricing.
Limitations
- Reverse DNS only for reserved IPv4 addresses and VDC-assigned public IPv6 addresses
- IPv6 reverse DNS requires /128 host address from /56 VDC block
- Primary zone must exist before any DNS record (including reverse DNS) can be created
- Zone infrastructure fixed to 14 global POPs (cannot add custom nameserver locations)
- Supported record types limited to documented list (21 types)
- Disabling a zone removes its SOA record and stops DNS resolution
- Record operations blocked while in non-Available state (Provisioning, Destroying, Failed)
- API calls for reverse DNS creation require an A record to already exist for the IP address
- Sub-users can only create reverse DNS records if IP block is granted to their group
- Four IONOS nameservers must be set at domain registrar for DNS service to function
- Per-contract quotas apply: 50,000 primary zones, 100,000 secondary zones, 100,000 records, and 5,000 reverse records (reported via the /quota endpoint); there is no separately documented per-zone record limit beyond this contract-wide total
Management Options
- Data Center Designer (DCD)
- Cloud DNS API
- Terraform provider
- Access control via user privileges and group assignments