How Long Does DNS Take to Propagate
Name server changes can take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours to fully take effect. This time frame, also known as propagation, is the time it takes for cache records and root name servers all over the internet to be updated with your site's DNS information.
Is there anything that affects the DNS propagation time? It might take up to 48 hours for DNS records, or Domain Name System records, to propagate over the Internet when they are modified in the zone file of your domain name. Even though we strive to provide changes as quickly as possible, there are various factors outside our control that influence the DNS propagation time.
The following are some of the elements that influence DNS propagation time:
Your domain name's registry - If you change your domain name's nameservers, your request is sent to the registry within a few minutes, and the registrar publishes your authoritative nameserver records to their root zone. Most registries update the zones on a regular basis. VeriSign, for example, refreshes zones for.com domain names every three minutes. You should keep in mind, however, that not all registries update as quickly as others. Registries frequently safeguard root nameservers against overuse by setting a high TTL (time to live, a kind of expiration date for a DNS record) of up to 48 or more hours for those nameserver entries. Furthermore, despite the fact that recursive nameservers should not store the root nameserver records, some ISPs do so nevertheless, resulting in a longer nameserver propagation time.
Your Internet Service Provider, or ISP - DNS records are cached by your ISP, which stores the data locally rather than requesting it from your DNS server. This slows the propagation time by reducing traffic and speeding up Web browsing. Some ISPs ignore TTL settings, and their cached records are only refreshed every two to three days.
TTL Settings - You can adjust the Time to Live for each DNS record in the zone file of your domain name. TTL, as previously stated, refers to the amount of time that servers cache information for your DNS records. TTL settings can be shortened to boost propagation speed. For example, if the TTL for a particular record is set to two hours, the information for that record is cached locally by servers for two hours before being retrieved from your authoritative nameserver. Keep in mind, though, that shorter settings will increase the amount of inquiries, and that additional load can slow down your server's processing time.
