Uptime guide

How does DNS failover work?

DNS failover monitors a primary server and changes DNS to a backup IP address when the main endpoint stops responding, helping visitors reach a working service during outages.

Primary IP The normal server address visitors should reach when everything is healthy.
Health checks Monitoring tests such as HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP, TCP, UDP, or ping.
Backup IP The alternate endpoint DNS can point to during an outage.

What DNS failover actually does

DNS failover watches a service for signs of failure. If the primary endpoint stops answering and the outage is confirmed, the DNS record is changed so new visitors are sent to a backup server or backup page instead.

How DNS failover works step by step

  1. 1. Monitor Checks run against the service you want to protect.
  2. 2. Confirm Multiple monitoring locations help verify that the problem is real.
  3. 3. Reroute DNS changes from the primary IP to a working backup IP.
  4. 4. Restore When the primary recovers, traffic can be moved back automatically.

When DNS failover is useful

  • Websites that need a backup server or maintenance page during outages.
  • Self-hosted services that depend on a home, office, or branch internet connection.
  • Applications where downtime notifications and automatic recovery matter.
  • Organizations that want failover without changing the public hostname users already know.

What DNS failover is not

DNS failover is not the same as load balancing. It does not normally split traffic between healthy servers all the time. Its main job is to detect failure and move traffic to an alternate destination when the primary endpoint is unavailable.

Keep services reachable during outages

DNSExit monitors websites and services from multiple locations, moves traffic to backup IPs when needed, and can restore the original DNS automatically after recovery.

See DNS Failover Service Read DNS Failover FAQ
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