marks the start of a zone of authority
Quick facts
Purpose
marks the start of a zone of authority
SOA is one of the DNS resource record (RR) types defined by RFC 1035.
Example
example.com. 3600 IN SOA ns1.example.com. admin.example.com. 2026081701 7200 3600 1209600 3600
Related record types
Common uses
Format
example.com. 3600 IN SOA ns1.example.com. admin.example.com. 2026081701 7200 3600 1209600 3600
| Field | Explanation |
|---|---|
| MNAME | Primary name server. |
| RNAME | Administrator's mailbox. |
| Serial | Zone version for transfers. |
| Refresh / Retry / Expire | Secondary refresh timing. |
Frequently asked questions
Start-of-authority metadata, Zone serial and refresh settings
In the DNS management panel of your registrar or DNS provider (for example Cloudflare or Route53).
Sources & standards
Updated 2026-09-13
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