Manage DNS records in DirectAdmin

If your domain uses the DirectAdmin server's nameservers, all DNS records for website, email and verification are managed in DNS Management. This guide shows how to add and change records safely and how to connect external services like Google Workspace.

Before you start

• Check that the domain's nameservers point to your hosting provider's DNS. Use the WHOIS checker. If DNS is at Cloudflare or your registrar, edit records there instead.
• Your package must include DNS control.

Open DNS Management

1. Log in to DirectAdmin.
2. Go to Account Manager → DNS Management.
3. Select the domain if you have several.

The table lists every record with its name, TTL, type and value. Names ending without a dot are relative to the domain, so www means www.example.com; names ending with a dot are absolute.

Add a record

1. Click Add Record.
2. Choose the type: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, SRV, CAA or NS.
3. Enter the Name (leave empty or use the domain with a dot for the root), the Value and, optionally, the TTL.
4. Click Add.

Edit or delete records

Click Edit next to a record to change it, or tick records and click Delete. Do not remove the NS records or the root A record unless you are moving DNS elsewhere. Reset Defaults rebuilds the zone from the server template and removes custom records.

Use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 for email

1. Delete the existing MX record pointing to mail.example.com.
2. Add the provider's MX records with their priorities.
3. Replace the SPF TXT record with the provider's include, for example v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all.
4. Go to E-Mail Manager → MX Records and untick Local Mail Server so DirectAdmin does not keep mail for the domain locally.

Lower TTL before changes

If you plan to move a site, lower the TTL of the main records to 300 seconds a day earlier. Resolvers then pick up the change within minutes instead of hours.

Troubleshooting

• Changes not visible: query the server directly with dig @server-ip example.com. If it shows the new value, wait for caches to expire.
• CNAME at the root: not allowed by DNS standards. Use an A record for the root.
• Mail not arriving after switching MX: the Local Mail Server option is still ticked, so messages from the same server are delivered locally.
• DKIM record missing: enable DKIM in E-Mail Manager → DKIM Keys (if your host allows it) and it is added automatically.

Next steps

• Create email accounts and mail DNS.
• Issue a Let's Encrypt certificate.
• Add domains and subdomains.