TTL stands for Time To Live and determines how long a DNS record is stored (cached) by servers and providers before they fetch the current data again. A low TTL ensures faster propagation of changes, while a high TTL results in less DNS traffic and more stable performance. Which value makes sense depends on what you’re going to do: daily management calls for a different setting than a planned migration.
What exactly is TTL?
Every DNS record (such as an A record, CNAME, MX, or TXT) has a TTL value, expressed in seconds. This value tells other DNS servers how long they may remember the answer before they need to check back with the source (your domain’s nameservers) again. For example, if the TTL is set to 3600, it may take up to an hour before a change is visible everywhere. This also explains why DNS changes don’t immediately work everywhere: not every resolver requests the update at the same time.
The TTL determines how long a DNS answer is remembered along the way.
Which TTL value do you choose when?
There is no universal “best” TTL, but there is a logical rule of thumb: lower the TTL before you make a change, and raise it again once everything is running stably.
- Normal situation (no changes planned): a TTL of a few hours to a day (for example 3600–86400 seconds) is fine. This reduces unnecessary DNS traffic and is just as reliable.
- For a planned migration or hosting switch: lower the TTL a few days in advance to, for example, 300 seconds (5 minutes). This way, a change to the MX or A records spreads much faster.
- For email records (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC): be extra careful; slow propagation can temporarily lead to missed or undelivered email. A lower TTL during changes prevents prolonged confusion.
Adjusting TTL: step-by-step plan
Log in to your DNS management
This can be at your domain registrar, or in Plesk if your nameservers point there. In Plesk, you’ll find this under the DNS Settings tab of your domain.
Find the record you want to change
This can be an A record, CNAME, MX record, or TXT record. Each record has its own TTL value that you can set separately.
Temporarily lower the TTL
Set the value a few days before the change to, for example, 300 seconds. Save the setting and wait until the old TTL has expired.
Make the actual change
Now adjust the record itself (for example, a new IP address or different mail server). Since the TTL is set low, the change will be visible everywhere quickly.
Set the TTL back
Once everything is running stably, raise the TTL back to a normal value to prevent unnecessary load on DNS servers.
Common mistakes with TTL
A common mistake is lowering the TTL only at the moment of the change itself, instead of starting well in advance. Because the old TTL value may still be cached somewhere, this action often has no immediate effect. TTL is also sometimes confused with DNS propagation: TTL is something you set yourself and directly influence, while propagation is the broader process in which changes spread across various DNS servers worldwide. You can find more explanation about the different record types in our article on DNS records (A, CNAME, MX, and TXT), and if you want to transfer a domain, it’s smart to know beforehand how domain names and nameservers are related.
Planning a switch to another provider? Then it’s wise to lower the TTL well in advance, so your switch to Tandata goes smoothly without hiccups and your business email keeps coming in normally during the transition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I don’t set a TTL?
Then the default value used by your DNS provider applies. This works fine for normal use, but is less flexible if you need to make a quick change.
Can I set the TTL too low?
Technically, yes, but an extremely low TTL (for example, a few seconds) causes a lot of extra DNS requests and can slightly affect your website’s loading time. Only use low values temporarily.
Does a TTL change take effect immediately?
No. The change to the TTL itself only takes effect after the old TTL value has expired. After that, the new value will apply to future changes.
Where can I find TTL settings?
In your domain registrar’s DNS management, or in Plesk, under your domain’s DNS settings. Via the knowledge base you’ll also find step-by-step plans for specific record types.
Conclusion
TTL determines how long DNS records remain cached. Lower the TTL well in advance if you’re planning a change, such as a new hosting environment or email setting, and then set the value back to normal afterward. This way, you prevent long waiting times and unnecessary confusion for visitors or email traffic.