Domain Name Management and DNS Support
Exodesk manages domain names and DNS for New Zealand businesses as part of our managed IT services. We help keep registration details and renewals current, control authorised DNS changes and document the services that depend on each domain.
Your business remains the recorded domain holder. We agree who can approve changes, how access is protected and what is needed when a website, email service or provider changes.
Tell us your domain names and what you need help with
What is domain name management?
Domain name management is the ongoing administration of a business’s domain registrations and DNS: who holds each name, how it renews, who can change it and which services depend on its records.
The recorded holder, the registrar, a reseller and the DNS host can be different parties, and each change touches a different one. Our domain name management keeps those roles documented, so a renewal, a new email service or a change of web host does not depend on one person’s login or memory.
Exodesk has supported New Zealand businesses since 1989. Today, our Christchurch and Dunedin teams support businesses nationwide.
Domain and DNS work we look after
Routine authorised DNS changes are part of domain name management within your managed IT agreement. Registrations, transfers, recovery work and larger website or email moves are scoped and quoted separately.
Registrations and renewals
We arrange registrations and renewals through an authorised registrar, or manage domains in your own registrar account, and confirm holder details, payment responsibility and renewal contacts.
DNS administration
We document the required records, coordinate supplier requests and make authorised changes for your website, email and other connected services.
Access and security
We agree the authorised users, supported multi-factor authentication, recovery contacts and the transfer protections your registrar offers.
Domain name management is part of our managed IT services. Domain records, suppliers and renewal dates are kept with your IT documentation.
Your business stays the recorded holder
Keep the correct legal holder on the record. For a company that normally means the company; a sole trader may correctly be recorded as an individual.
A managed provider account is not itself proof of who holds a domain, and .nz resellers manage registrations through authorised registrars. We document who can authorise changes, how identity is checked, how account recovery works and what a provider handover involves. Direct or delegated access to the registrar account is useful where supported.
A change of registrar moves registration administration; a change of holder assigns the registration to another person or entity and needs the current holder’s authorisation. Changing registrars alone does not correct a holder mismatch, and the Domain Name Commission explains the holder-change process separately. Individual .nz holders not involved in significant trade can use the Individual Registrant Privacy Option, which withholds contact details rather than making the registration anonymous.
Renewals and expired .nz domains
We check renewal contacts, payment details and that each renewal has actually completed, rather than relying on one annual reminder. Auto-renew helps, but it does not renew a domain if payment or account access fails.
Contact your registrar immediately if a .nz registration has expired. The Domain Name Commission describes a 90-day redemption period during which the domain can be reinstated, followed by pending delete when it cannot. Associated services can stop during redemption. Check the actual status and provider terms rather than relying on the recovery window, and note that other extensions follow their own lifecycles.
Website and email may not fail at the same moment, because DNS caches and service dependencies produce different symptoms and timing. Our domain name management records which services depend on each domain, so the effect of an expiry is understood quickly.
DNS changes and provider moves
A nameserver change alters which authoritative servers answer for the domain; it does not copy the zone. A registrar transfer may leave the nameservers unchanged, so it does not automatically move DNS, the website or mailboxes.
Inventory records and services
Record the current records, their purpose and the services that depend on them, including provider settings such as redirects or proxying that a zone export may omit.
Prepare and verify the destination
Create and check the required records at the new DNS host before anything points to it.
Plan nameservers and DNSSEC together
Coordinate signing keys and the DS record at the registry with the nameserver change, allowing for existing cache lifetimes.
Change, test and keep a rollback
Check authoritative answers and the affected services, and keep the old service available for the agreed transition period.
A, AAAA, CNAME, MX and TXT are common record types, and the records you need depend on your services. SPF is published as a TXT record. Where email authentication is relevant, we document the required SPF, DKIM and DMARC records and coordinate with your email supplier; the wider protection service sits with email security, and mailbox moves with email migration.
Lowering a TTL does not shorten an answer that is already cached, so changes are timed from the previous cache lifetimes. A wrong record is investigated straight away rather than left to propagate. Hosting, certificates and site maintenance are covered by website hosting and maintenance.
Access, transfer protection and recovery
As part of domain name management, we use supported strong multi-factor authentication, named authorised access, protected recovery information and an escalation route that still works if the domain’s own email fails.
- Transfer protection. For .nz domains, a registrar transfer lock must be removed promptly when the holder requests a new code or resets it for transfer. Other extensions follow their own transfer restrictions. A transfer lock does not prevent every DNS edit or account takeover
- DNSSEC. Lets validating resolvers authenticate DNS answers and check their integrity; it does not authenticate website content or replace HTTPS
- Authorisation Codes. A .nz registrar must supply the code to the holder on request free of charge and must not obstruct the transfer; each code works once and expires after 30 days
- Disputes and struck-off companies. A disagreement over who should hold a domain is separate from a registrar transfer, and the Domain Name Commission has a specific process for domains held by a struck-off company
Recovery timing depends on the parties involved, so we do not promise fixed recovery periods. If another party now controls a lost domain, recovering it and moving to a new domain are separate decisions. Domains belong on the register kept through IT asset management.
What domain name management costs
Domain costs depend on the extensions, number of registrations, DNS requirements and the management arrangement. We confirm renewal charges and what is included in your managed IT agreement.
- Registration and renewal fees. Charged per domain and extension by the registrar or authorised provider
- Ongoing management. Renewal checks, documentation and routine authorised DNS changes within your managed IT agreement
- Projects. Transfers, holder corrections and larger website or email changes, scoped separately
- Recovery assistance. Expired or disputed domains, quoted for the situation
For .nz domains, the current registrar cannot charge an exit fee or for generating the Authorisation Code. Receiving-provider charges, reinstatement fees and any separately agreed project assistance are confirmed before work starts. Releasing the code is not conditional on buying project assistance.
Domain name management questions
What does domain name management include?
It covers the agreed registration, renewal, access and DNS administration for your business domains. Exodesk documents the responsible providers and connected services, with routine work and separately quoted changes set out in the support arrangement.
Who should be recorded as the domain holder?
Use the correct legal person or entity entitled to hold the registration. For a company, that is normally the company, and a sole trader may be recorded as an individual. The registrar or authorised provider can help confirm and update the details using the required process.
Can you manage a domain with another provider?
We can review the existing arrangement and discuss the access and authority needed. Management does not need a change of registrar or DNS host in every case. Any transfer, holder correction or supplier change is agreed and scoped separately.
How do I check who holds a .nz domain?
Use the Domain Name Commission WHOIS lookup for a .nz registration, then check the holder and registrar details. For other extensions, use the relevant registry or registrar process. Public information may be limited, so confirm access and authority with the provider where needed.
What happens if a .nz domain expires?
Contact the registrar immediately. The Domain Name Commission describes a 90-day redemption period for reinstatement, followed by pending delete when reinstatement is no longer possible. Services can stop during redemption, so confirm the actual status and provider terms.
Can a provider withhold the transfer code?
A .nz registrar must provide the Authorisation Code to the domain holder on request without charge and must not obstruct the holder from transferring registrar. The requester must be identified as authorised. A dispute over who should hold the domain is a separate matter.
How long do DNS changes take?
Timing depends on the previous cache lifetimes and the type of change. We plan the change and check the authoritative records and affected services. A configuration error needs investigation straight away, because waiting does not correct a wrong record.
How much does domain name management cost?
We confirm registration and renewal fees, the work included in your managed IT agreement and any separate change or recovery project. Cost depends on the domains and service requirements rather than one annual rate.
Discuss your domain management
Tell us the domains involved and whether you need help with renewals, access or DNS changes. Please keep passwords, Authorisation Codes and account details out of the enquiry; we arrange a secure channel once authority is confirmed.
Talk to us about domain name management
Tell us your business, the domains involved and what is not working, and we will be in touch to arrange a time that suits.
Prefer to talk?
Christchurch
Level 1, 85 Riccarton Road
Christchurch 8011
03 343 3124
Dunedin
Level 3, Bartons Building
2 Stafford Street, Dunedin 9016
03 479 2941