Updating the TTL Value of Your DNS Using cPanel

TTL or Time to Live, also known as Hop Limit, is a numerical value that is attached to each DNS record. The numerical value is normally set in seconds; so if you want a 24-hour TTL value, the equivalent in seconds would be 86400. This value tells the resolver how long it should remember or cache the DNS query and when it should require a new one. Therefore, if the TTL is set to 86400, the DNS will be cached for 24 hours and a new DNS query will be sent once the period expires.

Caching allows a faster internet experience because it requires lesser time to lookup a DNS from your local resolver. So if you’re not making any DNS updates every so often - such as updates on your A Record, CNAME Record, or MX Record, among others - then a standard 24-hour period for caching would be ideal. This means that if you have a website, people who frequently look it up will be able to load it faster.

On the other hand, if for example you have made a new website and you would like to update your A Records, a TTL value of 86400 would mean that the old website will still show across the internet within the 24-hour window. After 24 hours and the caching period has expired, your DNS update will have fully propagated across the internet and your new website will appear. You can shorten the propagation period by lowering the TTL value first. Remember that lowering the value will also take time to propagate. Once it has been already lowered, then you can make any DNS update with shorter propagation period.

Updating the TTL Value

You can update the TTL value of your DNS via the Advanced Zone Editor in your Hosting Manager using the steps below:

Step 1. Log in to your cPanel.

Step 2. Scroll down to Domains tab, then click the Zone Editor option.

Step 3. Select the domain name you want to manage from the list, and click the corresponding Manage button.

Step 4. Choose the type of DNS record you want to edit from the table and click the Edit button.

Step 5. Update the TTL value record, then click Save Record.