What Is a TTL and How Does It Affect DNS Changes?

TTL stands for Time to Live. It's a value (measured in seconds) that tells DNS resolvers around the world how long they should cache a DNS record before checking for an updated value. Understanding TTL is key to managing how quickly your DNS changes take effect.

How TTL Works

When a resolver looks up your domain and retrieves a DNS record, it stores (caches) that record for the duration of the TTL. For example, if your A record has a TTL of 3600, resolvers will cache the result for one hour before querying your nameserver again.

• High TTL (e.g., 86400 - 24 hours): Records are cached longer, reducing DNS query load but slowing down propagation of changes.
• Low TTL (e.g., 300 - 5 minutes): Records refresh frequently, allowing changes to propagate faster but increasing DNS traffic.

Why Lower TTL Before Making DNS Changes?

If you're planning to update an A record, switch MX records, or change nameservers, lowering the TTL of the affected record 24–48 hours before making the change is best practice. This ensures that once you make the change, resolvers pick it up within minutes rather than hours.

How to Change TTL in cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel and go to Domains > Zone Editor.
2. Find the record you want to edit and click Edit.
3. Update the TTL value (e.g., change from 14400 to 300).
4. Save. After your DNS change is complete and propagated, you can raise the TTL back to a higher value.

If you're unsure what TTL to set, contact our support team for guidance.