You've just updated a DNS record for your domain and now you're waiting. And waiting. Your colleague says it's working for them, but you're still seeing no changes on your device. This is called DNS propagation - a very important but misunderstood aspect when managing domains.
When you're managing multiple domains in bulk across different providers, understanding propagation timing becomes critical for business operations. A miscalculated DNS update can mean hours of downtime, broken email delivery, resulting in lost time and money. The frustration multiplies when you're coordinating rollouts across Cloudflare and other providers simultaneously. Each has its own update speeds, and without understanding these timelines, you're essentially blindly guessing what will happen when planning critical changes.
The truth about DNS propagation
Here's what most people get wrong: DNS propagation isn't actually about your changes spreading across the internet like ripples in a pond. It's about waiting for old cached data to expire.
TTL controls the entire process.
TTL (Time To Live) decides the speed of every DNS update. When you set a TTL of 3600 seconds (1 hour), you're telling DNS resolvers worldwide: "Keep this record for an hour before checking if it changed."
This means even after you update a record, servers that cached it 30 minutes ago will hold onto the old version for another 30 minutes.
It's not actually propagation.
Your DNS changes reach authoritative nameservers almost instantly - usually within seconds. The waiting game happens because DNS resolvers (your ISP, Google's 8.8.8.8, Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1) have cached the old information and won't check for updates until the TTL expires.
Global vs local matters more than you think.
Your location affects which DNS resolver you hit and when that specific resolver last cached your domain's records. This explains why your colleague in Seattle sees the new site while you're still staring at the old one in Dallas.
Provider differences create chaos.
While Cloudflare might push changes to their edge network in under 5 minutes, traditional registrars like GoDaddy can take 15-30 minutes just to update their own nameservers. Add web hosting control panels like DirectAdmin or cPanel APIs to the mix, and there are added processing delays before the DNS update even begins.
Imagine this: You have an A record with TTL 3600 (1 hour) pointing to 104.21.48.122 (your old Cloudflare-hosted site). You change it to 52.85.151.19 (your new AWS server) at 2:00 PM.
A visitor who accessed your site at 1:30 PM won't see the change until 2:30 PM at the earliest. Meanwhile, someone who last visited yesterday sees the change immediately. This is why lowering TTL before planned changes is crucial.
Record types and their typical speeds
Not all DNS records are created equal when it comes to update speeds. Understanding these differences helps you plan maintenance windows and coordinate complex migrations.
A Records: ~1-24 hours
Most providers default to 3600 seconds (1 hour) or 14400 seconds (4 hours) TTL. If you're moving a website to a new server, expect most users to see the change within 4 hours, though some ISPs cache aggressively and might take up to 24 hours.
CNAME Records: Similar to A records
Follow similar timing but add an extra lookup step. When someone queries a CNAME, they first get the canonical name, then resolve that name to an IP. This double-lookup means slightly longer initial resolution times, though caching patterns remain similar.
MX Records: ~24-48 hours typically
Email providers set these high because mail servers rarely change, and longer caching reduces DNS lookup load.
TXT Records: ~5 minutes to 1 hour
Usually update faster with typical TTLs between 300-3600 seconds. These handle SPF, DKIM, domain verification, and other authentication needs. Since they're often used for time-sensitive verifications, providers keep TTLs relatively low.
NS Records: ~24-48 hours
The slowest to update, these changes happen at the registry level (like .com or .nl), and many resolvers cache them aggressively. Changing nameservers is like changing the phone book for your domain - it affects everything else. We advise you to plan these carefully.
Best practice tip: Before any major DNS change for your domain, lower your TTL values 48 hours in advance. Drop that 86400-second TTL to 300 seconds two days before your migration.
Yes, it increases DNS query load temporarily, but it gives you 5-minute update windows instead of 24-hour waits when it matters most.
What actually happens during updates
Understanding the DNS update cascade helps explain why different people see different results at different times.
Registry level changes happen first. When you update a record, your authoritative nameserver updates immediately. You can verify this by querying the nameserver directly:
This dig command queries Cloudflare's authoritative nameserver (pola.ns.cloudflare.com) directly for our website dnsense.io. The response shows the current A record (23.88.99.187) with a 60-second TTL. The 'aa' flag confirms this is an authoritative answer - meaning it comes straight from the source, not from any cache. The 17 msec query time shows how fast authoritative servers respond when you bypass all caching layers.
ISP and resolver caching creates the delay. Major DNS resolvers like Google (8.8.8.8) and Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) query your authoritative nameserver based on TTL. Your local ISP runs its own resolver with its own cache. Corporate networks often add another caching layer. Each has different cache timing.
Browser caching adds complexity. Chrome caches DNS for 60 seconds by default. Firefox varies between 60-120 seconds. Safari can cache for up to 5 minutes. Even after DNS propagates globally, your browser might show old results.
Mobile vs desktop behave differently. Mobile devices often use carrier DNS with aggressive caching. They might also switch between WiFi and cellular, hitting different resolvers with different cache states. This explains why your phone shows the new site while your laptop doesn't.
See a simple DNS update process in action:
- You update an A record at 10:00 AM
- Authoritative nameserver updates at 10:00:05 AM
- Cloudflare DNS sees it at 10:15 AM (after previous cache expires)
- Your ISP sees it at 10:45 AM
- Your browser finally shows it at 10:46 AM.
So a simple A record update just cost you 46 minutes of waiting. Ouch.
Speeding up the process
While you unfortunately can't eliminate DNS propagation time, you can minimize it with strategic planning.
Lower TTL before changes.
This is your most powerful tool. If you know you're making changes on Friday, drop your TTL from 86400 to 300 on Wednesday. After the change is stable, raise it back to reduce query load.
Flush your own cache systematically.
- Clear browser cache (Chrome:
chrome://net-internals/#dns, Firefox:about:networking#dns) - Flush OS cache (Windows:
ipconfig /flushdns, Mac:sudo dscacheutil -flushcache) - Restart your router if needed.
This forces fresh DNS lookups from your end.
Multiple DNS checkers reveal the full picture.
Tools like whatsmydns.net show propagation across global locations. Check from different geographic regions - if 80% of servers show your new IP, you're mostly propagated. Don't panic if a few stragglers remain.
Provider-specific tricks exist.
Cloudflare offers "purge cache" for immediate edge updates. Some providers let you force zone transfers. Other providers you use might need manual zone reloads. Know their specific capabilities.
Pro tip: Use online propagation checkers strategically. Check major resolvers first (8.8.8.8, 1.1.1.1, 9.9.9.9). If these show your update, most internet users will see it too. Regional ISP resolvers might lag, but they affect fewer users.
Take control of your DNS timing
Managing DNS timing for a few domains? Still doable. Coordinating updates across hundreds of domains on different providers while accounting for different propagation times? That's where it gets really inconvenient.
When you're managing domains across multiple providers - Cloudflare pushing updates in minutes, traditional registrars taking half an hour, other providers requiring manual zone reloads - coordination becomes complex and time-intensive. Each provider has different update mechanisms, API delays, and default TTL values. Understanding these differences and planning accordingly makes the difference between smooth migrations and hours of unexpected downtime.
If you're juggling DNS changes across multiple providers or need better control over update timing - our team understands these complexities and are happy to help.
Questions about DNS propagation or need help streamlining your domain management? Contact our team - we aim to help people and companies eliminate the guesswork and save time from slow 1-by-1 DNS updates.