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DNS & rDNS: FAQ and troubleshooting

My domain shows "Zone ready — point the NS"​

The zone exists at YorkHost and you can already edit it, but the domain does not use the YorkHost name servers (yet). So it does not answer for the public yet.

  1. Open Instructions on the domain row and compare Set at the registrar with Current name servers.
  2. If the registrar does not show ns1.yorkdns.com and ns2.yorkdns.com: change them (Change name servers button for a domain registered with YorkHost, otherwise at your registrar). See Point a domain to YorkHost.
  3. If the registrar already shows them but the public DNS does not: propagation is in progress, allow a few hours, up to 24 to 48 hours.
  4. If an old name server remains next to the YorkHost ones, remove it: a "mixed" domain is not considered managed by YorkHost.

Check: dig example.com NS +short must return only ns1.yorkdns.com. and ns2.yorkdns.com..

The name servers are refused by the registry​

For a .fr domain, the registry (AFNIC) checks that the new name servers already answer for the zone before accepting the change. If the zone does not exist at YorkHost yet, the change is refused.

  1. In Manage → DNS & rDNS, click Prepare the zone on the domain row (the state becomes Zone ready — point the NS).
  2. Check that it answers: dig @ns1.yorkdns.com example.fr SOA +short must return an SOA line.
  3. Make the name server change again.

Domain hosted on a YorkHost cPanel: do not prepare the zone in DNS & rDNS; add the domain in cPanel and wait until its zone answers (step 2) before making the change again.

Also check the exact spelling: ns1.yorkdns.com and ns2.yorkdns.com, with no other server next to them.

The PTR does not change​

The change is immediate on the YorkHost servers, but resolvers that cached the old value keep it until its TTL expires, usually one hour.

  1. Check the Status of the IP address in the Reverse DNS tab: Up to date means the PTR is published at YorkHost. Pending: the saved value is not published yet; if it lasts, save the name again or contact support. No zone: the reverse zone is not managed by YorkHost, contact support.

  2. Ask another resolver than yours to bypass its cache:

    dig -x 192.0.2.10 +short
    dig -x 192.0.2.10 @1.1.1.1 +short

  3. If a third-party service (mail test tool, blacklist…) still shows the old name, it has a cache too: wait for the TTL to expire.

For a mail server, also check that the name resolves to the same IP address: dig mail.example.com A +short (see forward-confirmed reverse DNS).

The zone is read-only​

The cPanel hosting — read-only badge means the zone is managed by your cPanel web hosting: cPanel is the reference, and the zone is shown read-only in DNS & rDNS (also through the API: 403 zone_err_readonly).

Edit your records in the cPanel Zone Editor: they are copied automatically to DNS & rDNS. See Configure a domain name.

"This record is managed by YorkHost and cannot be changed."​

The SOA and the name servers (NS) of the domain itself are protected. To change name servers, do it at the registrar. The NS records of a subdomain (delegation) can still be edited. See Protected records.

"A CNAME is not allowed on the domain itself (@)"​

A CNAME cannot be set on @, nor next to another record with the same name. At the root of the domain, use ALIAS or A / AAAA records.

"Invalid host name" for a reverse DNS​

The PTR must be a full name, for example mail.example.com, without _ or *. A short name (mail) is refused.

"Too many changes in a short time: try again in an hour."​

DNS and rDNS changes are limited per hour and per account, client area and API together. Wait, then try again. For many IP addresses, use the bulk change: check the batch first, it tells you how many changes it needs.

"The DNS service is temporarily unavailable"​

The DNS service is not answering at the moment: try again in a few minutes. If the problem lasts, contact support.

"A zone already exists for this name at YorkHost, but it is not attached to your account"​

Contact support from your client area or on Discord with the domain name: the team checks ownership and attaches the zone.

My domain is not in the list​

The page lists the domains and DNS zones of your YorkHost account. A domain registered elsewhere that is not on your account is not listed: contact support to have a zone created and attached to your account.