TTL (Time To Live) is the value on every DNS record that tells caching DNS servers how long they're allowed to remember the answer before re-asking. Lower TTL = changes propagate faster but more queries; higher TTL = fewer queries but slower changes. This article explains when to think about TTL and what to set it to.
14400 (4 hours). About 24-48 hours before a planned migration or DNS change, drop your TTLs to 300 (5 minutes) so the switchover is fast. Raise back to default once the new records are confirmed working.What TTL actually controls
When someone visits your site, their resolver (their ISP, Google's 8.8.8.8, etc.) asks our nameservers for the IP address. Our answer comes with a TTL number attached — in seconds. The resolver caches that answer for that many seconds, and answers any other queries during that window from cache without asking us again.
If you change a DNS record, anyone whose resolver has cached the old answer keeps getting the old answer until their cached entry expires. That's why DNS changes "propagate" slowly — the records change instantly on our end, but caches all over the world hold the old value until their TTL runs out.
Default TTL on CanSpace
Our DNS records manager and cPanel zone editors default to 14400 seconds (4 hours) for most records. That's a sensible default for everyday traffic: low query load on our nameservers, and four hours is rarely an issue for changes you weren't planning to make anyway.
When to lower TTL
Lower TTL before any DNS change you want to take effect quickly. Common cases:
- Migrating hosting — switching nameservers or changing the A record so your site points at a new server.
- Switching email providers — changing MX records to Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, etc.
- Cutover events — anything where downtime during propagation would hurt (online stores during a sale, time-sensitive launch, etc.).
The trick: TTL changes themselves are subject to the old TTL. If your A record's TTL is 14400 and you change it to 300, that change takes up to 4 hours to reach all caches. So lower TTL at least 24 hours, ideally 48 hours, before the actual change. By the time you make the real switch, all caches are running on the new short TTL and updates propagate in 5 minutes instead of 4 hours.
Recommended TTL values
| Situation | TTL value |
|---|---|
| Normal day-to-day operation | 14400 (4 hours) |
| Pre-migration, 24-48 hours before | 300 (5 minutes) |
| Stable enterprise records (rarely changes) | 86400 (24 hours) |
| Active load balancing / failover | 60-300 (1-5 minutes) |
How to change TTL
You can edit TTL on individual records via:
- cPanel Zone Editor if your domain uses our hosting nameservers.
- DNS Manager in the client area if your domain is registered with CanSpace but uses our DNS-only cluster (
dns1.canspace.ca/dns2.canspace.ca). - Your external DNS provider's interface (Cloudflare, Route 53, etc.) if your DNS is hosted elsewhere.
Edit each record individually and set the TTL field. Save, wait the original TTL period (the longer of old and new), then make your real change.
After the change — raise TTL back up
Once your migration or change is confirmed working everywhere, edit the records again and put TTL back to 14400. There's no benefit to leaving everything on a 5-minute TTL long-term — it just generates more DNS queries for no gain.
Related articles
- DNS propagation - what it is and how to check it
- How do I manage DNS entries?
- How do I change my nameservers?
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