DNS Configuration

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DNS Requirements

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DNS Record Types

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A Record (IPv4)

Type: A
Name: app (or @ for root domain)
Value: 203.0.113.42
TTL: 3600

• app.yourdomain.com → 203.0.113.42
• Or yourdomain.com → 203.0.113.42 (if using @)

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AAAA Record (IPv6)

Type: AAAA
Name: app
Value: 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334
TTL: 3600

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CNAME Record

Type: CNAME
Name: app
Value: yourmainapp.com
TTL: 3600

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DNS Configuration by Provider

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Cloudflare

1. Log in to your Cloudflare dashboard
2. Select your domain
3. Navigate to DNS → Records
4. Click Add record
5. Configure:
   • Type: A
   • Name: app (or your subdomain)
   • IPv4 address: Your server IP
   • Proxy status: DNS only (orange cloud OFF)
   • TTL: Auto
6. Click Save

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DigitalOcean

1. Log in to your DigitalOcean account
2. Navigate to Networking → Domains
3. Select your domain or add a new one
4. Under Add a record, select:
   • Type: A
   • Hostname: app
   • Will Direct To: Your server IP
   • TTL: 3600
5. Click Create Record

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AWS Route 53

1. Log in to AWS Console
2. Navigate to Route 53 → Hosted Zones
3. Select your domain
4. Click Create Record
5. Configure:
   • Record name: app
   • Record type: A
   • Value: Your server IP
   • TTL: 300
   • Routing policy: Simple routing
6. Click Create records

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Namecheap

1. Log in to Namecheap
2. Go to Domain List → Select your domain
3. Click Manage → Advanced DNS
4. Click Add New Record
5. Configure:
   • Type: A Record
   • Host: app
   • Value: Your server IP
   • TTL: Automatic
6. Click the checkmark to save

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GoDaddy

1. Log in to GoDaddy
2. Go to My Products → Domains
3. Click DNS next to your domain
4. Under Records, click Add
5. Configure:
   • Type: A
   • Name: app
   • Value: Your server IP
   • TTL: 1 Hour
6. Click Save

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Google Domains

1. Log in to Google Domains
2. Select your domain
3. Click DNS on the left sidebar
4. Scroll to Custom resource records
5. Add a new record:
   • Name: app
   • Type: A
   • TTL: 1H
   • Data: Your server IP
6. Click Add

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DNS Verification Process

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1. DNS Lookup

// Example of what the system checks
$dnsRecords = dns_get_record('app.clientdomain.com', DNS_A);
// Verifies if any record matches your server's IP

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2. Verification Job

• Queries DNS records for the custom domain
• Compares resolved IP with your server’s IP
• Updates the domain record with verification status
• Fires DnsVerified event on success

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3. Retry Logic

• The system retries up to 3 times
• Tracks retry attempts in dns_verification_attempts
• Waits between retries for DNS propagation

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4. Automated Progression

1. DnsVerified event is fired
2. CreateForgeSite listener creates a Forge site
3. CreateForgeSiteCertificateJob provisions SSL certificate
4. Team is notified when complete

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DNS Propagation Time

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Best Practices

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1. Lower TTL Before Changes

1. Lower the DNS TTL to 300-600 seconds (5-10 minutes)
2. Wait for the old TTL to expire
3. Make your DNS changes
4. After verification, you can increase TTL back to 3600 (1 hour)

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2. Use Subdomains

• ✅ app.clientdomain.com (subdomain)
• ❌ clientdomain.com (root domain)

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3. Disable Proxying

• Disable the proxy (orange cloud) during initial setup
• Enable it after SSL is active (optional)

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4. Check Before Adding

1. Configure DNS records first
2. Wait 5-10 minutes for propagation
3. Then add the domain in your application

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Monitoring DNS Status

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Check Domain Status

// In your TeamResource or custom page
Forms\Components\Placeholder::make('domain_status')
    ->content(function ($record) {
        if (!$record->domain) {
            return 'No domain configured';
        }

        $domain = $record->domains()->where('domain', $record->domain)->first();

        if (!$domain) {
            return '⏳ Pending DNS verification';
        }

        if (!$domain->dns_verified) {
            return "❌ DNS not verified (Attempts: {$domain->dns_verification_attempts})";
        }

        if (!$domain->ssl_installed) {
            return '⏳ SSL certificate being installed';
        }

        if (!$domain->ssl_active) {
            return '⏳ SSL certificate being activated';
        }

        return '✅ Domain active and secure';
    })

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Manual DNS Check

# Check A records
dig +short app.clientdomain.com A

# Check with specific nameserver
dig @8.8.8.8 app.clientdomain.com A

# Detailed DNS query
nslookup app.clientdomain.com

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Monitor Verification Attempts

php artisan tinker

// Get all pending verifications
\App\Models\Domain::where('dns_verified', false)->get();

// Get domains with multiple failed attempts
\App\Models\Domain::where('dns_verification_attempts', '>', 3)->get();

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Troubleshooting DNS Issues

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DNS Not Resolving

1. Verify the DNS record was created correctly
2. Check for typos in the domain name
3. Wait for DNS propagation (5-30 minutes)
4. Use dig or nslookup to verify

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Wrong IP Address

1. Update DNS record with correct IP
2. Lower TTL for faster propagation
3. Clear local DNS cache: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache (macOS)
4. Wait for propagation

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Cloudflare Proxy Issues

1. Click the orange cloud to make it gray (DNS only)
2. Wait 2-5 minutes for changes to propagate
3. Retry verification

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Multiple A Records

1. Remove old/incorrect A records
2. Keep only the record pointing to your server
3. Wait for DNS propagation

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Advanced: Wildcard Domains

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DNS Configuration

Type: A
Name: *
Value: Your server IP
TTL: 3600

• app.clientdomain.com
• portal.clientdomain.com
• anything.clientdomain.com

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Server Configuration

1. Configure Nginx to handle wildcard domains
2. Use wildcard SSL certificates
3. Adjust your application routing logic

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Next Steps

• SSL Certificates - Understand SSL certificate automation
• Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions
• API Reference - Programmatic domain management