How to Enable, Configure and Manage DNS Settings in Plesk Make it Rain Paper

Pre-requirements

• Administrator access to Plesk control panel.
• DNS server component installed on the Plesk server.
• Basic knowledge of DNS records (e.g., A, CNAME, MX records).
• Root or sudo access if you need to install components via the command line.

Introduction

Managing DNS settings in Plesk requires that the DNS server component is installed and active. This guide will walk you through enabling DNS settings for a domain, installing the DNS server component if necessary, and adding DNS records like A, MX, or CNAME records.

Step 1: Ensure DNS Server Component is Installed

If the DNS settings option is unavailable, it may be because the DNS server component is not installed. Follow these steps to verify and install it if needed:

Linux Command to Install DNS Server Component

# Install DNS Server on CentOS/RHEL
yum install bind bind-utils

# Install DNS Server on Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install bind9

# Install DNS component via Plesk (Linux & Windows)
plesk installer --select-release-current --install-component dns

After the component is installed, restart Plesk:

sudo service psa restart

Step 2: Enable DNS Settings for a Domain

1. Log into your Plesk control panel.
2. Go to Domains > example.com > DNS Settings.
3. If only NS (Name Server) records are shown, click the Enable button to activate the local DNS service for the domain.

Gotchas to Avoid

• If the DNS server component is not installed, the DNS settings section will not be available. Be sure to install it as per Step 1.
• Make sure you are enabling local DNS service only if required. For domains using external DNS services (e.g., at a registrar), enabling local DNS might cause conflicts.

Step 3: Add DNS Records in Plesk

1. In the DNS Settings section for example.com, click Add Record.
2. Select the desired record type from the dropdown (e.g., A, CNAME, MX).
3. Fill in the required fields for the DNS record:
   • A Record: Maps a domain to an IP address (e.g., example.com A 203.0.113.5).
   • CNAME Record: Aliases one domain to another (e.g., www.example.com CNAME example.com).
   • MX Record: Points to a mail server (e.g., example.com MX mail.example.com).
4. Click OK to save the record.
5. Click Update to apply the DNS changes.

Gotchas to Avoid

• Ensure you add the correct DNS record types and values. Incorrect values can cause email or website outages.
• DNS changes may take time to propagate (up to 48 hours), so test after updating the records.
• If you're using external DNS, double-check that changes made locally on Plesk don't conflict with those managed by external services.

Verifying DNS Record Changes

After updating DNS records, it's essential to verify that they are correctly applied. Use the following Linux commands to verify DNS changes:

Linux Commands to Verify DNS Records

# Check A record
dig example.com A

# Check CNAME record
dig www.example.com CNAME

# Check MX record
dig example.com MX

For Windows and macOS, the nslookup tool can also be used:

Command for Windows/macOS

nslookup -type=A example.com

By following these steps, you can enable and manage DNS settings for your domains in Plesk. This guide also covers the steps for installing the DNS server component if it's not already installed. Once configured, you can add and update DNS records like A, CNAME, and MX records directly from the Plesk interface.

For more information, visit our Knowledge Base.