Domain name and DNS guides for Canadian businesses

Domain registration checklist: what to check before registering

A domain registration checklist covering business control, extension rules, renewal, recovery, privacy, DNS, email planning, account security, and future transfer access.

Domain transfer status: why a transfer is pending or blocked

A domain transfer can be pending, locked, rejected, or waiting on authorization. Learn how registrar lock, authorization codes, eligibility, approval, expiry, and registry state affect transfer status.

Domain renewal cost: why renewal matters more than intro price

Compare domain renewal cost, registration price, transfer price, premium names, privacy, taxes, and add-ons before choosing a registrar based on a first-year discount.

Domain name expiry: what happens when renewal is missed?

Domain name expiry can interrupt DNS, websites, and email. Learn why recovery timing and fees vary by TLD and why you should act before assuming a domain can simply be re-registered.

Domain privacy Canada: what registration privacy does

Domain privacy affects what registration contact data is publicly displayed, but rules depend on the registry, TLD, registrant type, and current policy. Learn what it does and does not protect.

Domain ownership lookup: what public registration data can show

A domain ownership lookup may reveal registrar, nameservers, dates, status, and limited registration data, while registrant details may be redacted or privacy-protected.

DNS propagation time: what is really happening?

DNS propagation time is mostly cache expiry across resolvers. Learn how TTL, authoritative DNS, local caches, and nameserver changes affect when users see new answers.

Change nameservers safely without breaking email or subdomains

Changing nameservers moves authoritative DNS responsibility. Inventory the whole zone, reproduce records, test answers, and keep rollback details before changing delegation.

Domain not resolving: how to find the broken DNS layer

When a domain is not resolving, check registration status, delegation, authoritative nameservers, zone records, DNSSEC, and recursive results in that order.

TXT record setup for verification and email authentication

TXT records carry text used for service verification, SPF, DKIM-related data, DMARC, and other policies. Add the exact record at the correct hostname without overwriting unrelated values.

DNS TTL explained: how cache time affects changes

DNS TTL tells recursive resolvers how long an answer may be cached. Learn how TTL affects planned migrations, query load, rollback timing, and why lowering it at the last second does not clear old caches.

DNS TTL planning: choose cache times before a change or migration

Use DNS TTLs deliberately before cutovers, understand resolver caching, and avoid last-minute changes that leave old answers circulating longer than expected.

DNS cutover validation: prove the new destination before and after the switch

Validate records, authoritative nameservers, TLS and the application from multiple resolvers so a DNS cutover is confirmed beyond one local cache.

DNS rollback planning: keep a safe path back during a cutover

Prepare old and new endpoints, TTLs, record history and rollback triggers before changing DNS so recovery remains possible if the destination fails.

DNSSEC validation errors: trace broken signatures and delegation

Diagnose SERVFAIL and DNSSEC validation failures by checking signatures, keys, DS records, time, delegation and the chain of trust from parent to zone.

DNSSEC DS records: how the parent zone links to your DNS keys

Understand DS records, key tags, digest algorithms and rollover timing so DNSSEC changes at the registrar match the keys actually signing the zone.

CAA record planning: control which certificate authorities may issue for a domain

Plan CAA records around the certificate providers you use, subdomains and incident contacts, then verify issuance will still work before enforcing restrictions.

CNAME chain problems: why extra DNS aliases can break or slow resolution

Trace CNAME chains, loops, missing terminal records and provider restrictions, then shorten unnecessary aliases without changing the intended hostname.

MX priority explained: how mail servers choose where to deliver

Understand MX preference values, fallback hosts and equal-priority records, then verify the selected mail servers actually accept mail for the domain.

SPF lookup limits: avoid permerror from too many DNS-dependent mechanisms

Count SPF DNS lookups across includes, redirects and other mechanisms, then simplify the policy without authorizing senders the domain does not use.

DKIM selector rotation: change signing keys without breaking verification

Rotate DKIM selectors by publishing the new key first, switching signers, monitoring authentication and retaining the old selector long enough for queued mail.

DMARC alignment troubleshooting: find why SPF or DKIM passes but DMARC fails

Compare From, Return-Path and DKIM signing domains, relaxed or strict alignment and forwarding behaviour to diagnose a DMARC alignment failure.

DMARC report reading: turn aggregate XML into useful sender evidence

Read DMARC aggregate reports by source, authentication result and alignment so unknown senders, forwarding and policy problems become actionable.

Domain expiry recovery: what happens after a registration lapses

Understand expiry, grace, redemption and deletion stages, then act through the registrar while recovery is still possible and before DNS or mail stays offline.

Domain transfer locks: why a transfer is blocked and what to check

Check registrar locks, recent registration or contact changes, authorization codes and registry rules when a domain transfer stays pending or cannot start.

Domain contact privacy: what WHOIS privacy hides and what the registry still needs

Understand public registration data, privacy or proxy services, registrar records and contact accuracy so privacy does not break ownership or transfer notices.

Domain nameserver migration: move DNS hosting without dropping records

Copy the zone, compare authoritative answers, lower risk before delegation changes and keep the old DNS service available until the new nameservers are proven.

Subdomain delegation: hand part of a DNS namespace to another set of nameservers

Delegate a subdomain with NS records, verify the child zone and glue needs, and avoid conflicting records at the parent that make resolution ambiguous.

Wildcard DNS risks: what a catch-all record can accidentally match

Use wildcard DNS only where its fallback behaviour is understood, and test explicit names, mail, certificates and application routing for unintended matches.

Domain and hosting together or separate: which is easier?

Compare keeping your domain and web hosting with one company versus separate providers by convenience, ownership, DNS control, billing, support, migration, and lock-in risk.

How to connect a domain to web hosting

Connect a domain to hosting by understanding nameservers, DNS records, A and AAAA records, CNAMEs, email records, TTLs, HTTPS, and what to test after the change.

Website, email, and domain: how the pieces fit together

Understand how domains, DNS, website hosting, business email, MX records, SPF, DKIM, SSL, and control panels fit together so changing one service does not break another.

How to choose a domain name for a Canadian business

A practical guide to choosing a memorable Canadian business domain, comparing .ca and .com, and avoiding naming mistakes that are expensive to unwind later.

.CA vs .COM for a Canadian business

When to use .CA, .COM, or both for a Canadian brand.

DNS records explained: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX and TXT

Understand the DNS records you are most likely to manage for a website and email, including A, AAAA, CNAME, MX and TXT records.

Nameservers vs DNS records: what is the difference?

Understand how authoritative nameservers, DNS zones, A records, MX records and registrar delegation fit together before changing a domain.

Domain transfer checklist: what to verify before moving registrars

A domain-transfer checklist covering ownership, contact access, transfer locks, authorization codes, DNS continuity, email, expiry timing, and post-transfer verification.