# Event website NXDOMAIN: name-and-zone tracing sheet

Use this sheet to find where the exact hostname disappears. Do not add a new DNS record for an obvious typo before correcting the source link. Keep credentials and attendee data out of the shared sheet.

**Event / affected link:** ______  **Exact URL and hostname:** ______  **Expected record type:** ______

**First seen / location:** ______  **Incident owner:** ______

## 1. Observe the same exact query

| Time | DNS server queried | Name / type | Response code | Answer or SOA | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [time] | Affected network resolver | [name/type] | [NXDOMAIN/other] | [detail] | [context] |
| [time] | Independent public resolver | [same name/type] | [result] | [detail] | [context] |
| [time] | Currently delegated authoritative server | [same name/type] | [result] | [detail] | [context] |

An NXDOMAIN response means the name is reported as nonexistent. A NOERROR response with no requested record type is a different case (often called NODATA). A SERVFAIL response is also different. Save the exact response code instead of grouping all three as “DNS is down.”

## 2. Trace authority before editing

**Registrar/domain status:** ______  **Parent NS delegation:** ______

**Provider that actually serves the authoritative zone:** ______

**Child-zone NS delegation, if any:** ______

**Does the exact hostname exist in the active zone?** ______

**Does it exist only in another, inactive dashboard/zone?** ______

**Expected target service and owner:** ______

A record in a DNS dashboard that is not authoritative for the public name does not repair the public answer. During a child-zone move, check both parent delegation and the child records.

## 3. Choose and verify the minimal fix

- [ ] If the attendee link is misspelled, correct the source link and assess old printed/email links.
- [ ] If the intended name is absent from the active zone, request the correct record from that zone's owner.
- [ ] If the record is in the wrong zone, correct the delegation or place it with the active authority under an approved plan.
- [ ] If the domain is expired or suspended, route to the registrar/domain owner before changing web hosting.

**Change approver / time:** ______  **Rollback owner:** ______

**Authoritative response after change:** ______  **Normal resolver response after change:** ______

**Real attendee path tested (site, registration, ticket email):** ______  **Unresolved issues:** ______

Sources: [Cloudflare NXDOMAIN troubleshooting](https://developers.cloudflare.com/dns/troubleshooting/dns-probe-finished-nxdomain/), [RFC 2308](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc2308/), [Amazon Route 53 subdomain routing](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/Route53/latest/DeveloperGuide/dns-routing-traffic-for-subdomains.html).