How to Add DNS Records to Alibaba Cloud
To send emails using your private domain name, you will first need to add your domain and create a subdomain within your Benchmark account. After the subdomain has been added, Benchmark will generate the DNS record that you'll add to your Alibaba Cloud DNS account under your domain's Public Zone.
This guide provides step-by-step instructions for adding the Benchmark DNS record to Alibaba Cloud.
Topics Covered in This Article
Before Getting Started
- Benchmark does not have access to your Alibaba Cloud account.
- Your DNS record is unique to the domain and subdomain you added to Benchmark.
- Once your record is created, find it under Email Settings > Domain.
- Propagation can take up to 48 hours.
- You can't use @ as the hostname for an NS record — a hostname is required.
How to Add Your DNS Record to Alibaba Cloud
The instructions included in this article were developed using resources from Alibaba Cloud.
- Log in to the Alibaba Cloud DNS console and go to the Public Zone page.
- Find the domain you're updating and click Configure (解析设置) to open its DNS records.
- Click Add Record.
- Enter the details for your NS record, using the values provided in Benchmark:
- Host record: paste the hostname provided in Benchmark.
- Type: select NS from the dropdown.
- Line: Default is fine unless you have a reason to choose otherwise.
- Value: paste the nameserver value provided in Benchmark.
- TTL: use the suggested time. If none is given, 10 minutes is a reasonable default.
- Click OK or Confirm to save the record.
After you have finished adding the record, you may return to your Benchmark account to complete the process. If you have navigated away from the records screen, you can still verify your work by checking your domain on the Domain page. From there, click the Retry Verification button next to the domain you are validating. This will initiate a web check to confirm whether the record was added successfully. Please note that DNS record propagation — once the record is valid on the web — can take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours.
If the record is not added, your domain's verification will remain pending.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to create the subdomain in Alibaba Cloud first?
No. Alibaba Cloud has a separate, more advanced feature called Subdomain Management that lets you delegate an entire subdomain as its own independently managed DNS zone — that's a different workflow with its own TXT verification steps, and it's not what this article covers.
Adding the NS record above through the standard Add Record flow is all that's needed to connect your subdomain to Benchmark; you don't need to add or verify a separate subdomain zone first.
Will adding this record affect my existing website or email?
No. This record only applies to the subdomain you added in Benchmark — it doesn't change or remove any existing records on your root domain.
How long does it take for my record to be verified?
Most records are verified within a few hours, but DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to fully propagate. If your domain still shows as unverified after 48 hours, double-check that the record matches exactly what's listed on your Domain page in Benchmark.
I got a record conflict error — what does that mean?
Alibaba Cloud DNS won't let an NS record share a hostname and resolution line with another record type. If you see a conflict, delete or change the hostname of the conflicting record before adding the NS record.
Can I add records for more than one subdomain?
Yes. Each subdomain you verify in Benchmark gets its own unique record. Add each subdomain in Benchmark first, then repeat the steps above for each one.