Archive & Restore
Safely delete DNS records with soft-delete and one-click restoration.
DNS Watchdog uses a soft-delete model for DNS record management. When you archive a record, it is removed from your DNS provider but retained in DNS Watchdog so it can be restored at any time.
This gives you a safety net when cleaning up stale records, dangling subdomains, or obsolete infrastructure — if something breaks, you can restore the record with one click.
How archiving works
- Archive a record — select one or more records and click Archive (or use bulk archive)
- DNS provider deletion — DNS Watchdog sends a delete request to the DNS provider's API, removing the record from live DNS
- Retained in archive — the record moves to the Archive page with its full history preserved
- Restore if needed — click Restore to recreate the record at the DNS provider with its original values
Archiving requires a read-write provider connection. Records from read-only providers cannot be archived through DNS Watchdog.
Viewing archived records
Navigate to the Archive page to see all previously deleted records. Each entry shows:
- Record name and FQDN
- Record type and value
- The zone and provider it belonged to
- Who archived it and when
- Whether it can be restored
Restoring a record
Click Restore on any archived record to recreate it at the DNS provider. The record is restored with its original name, type, value, and TTL.
After restoration:
- The record reappears in your inventory
- It is included in the next daily scan
- Any issues previously associated with it may be re-detected
Retention
Archived records are retained for 90 days. After the retention period expires, records can no longer be restored.
What happens at the DNS provider level
| Action | Effect on DNS provider |
|---|---|
| Archive | Record is deleted from the provider via API |
| Restore | Record is recreated at the provider via API |
| Permanent delete (after retention) | No further action — record was already removed from the provider when archived |
Safety guarantees
- Archived records remain restorable for 90 days after archiving
- The original record values (name, type, value, TTL) are preserved exactly as they were
- All archive and restore operations are logged in the Modification Log for audit purposes
- Bulk operations are processed sequentially — if one record fails, the others still proceed
When to use archive
Common use cases:
- Cleaning up dangling subdomains — archive CNAME records pointing to decommissioned services
- Removing obsolete records — archive A records for decommissioned servers
- Responding to security issues — quickly remove records exposing vulnerable services, with the option to restore if needed
- Bulk cleanup — archive multiple stale records at once after a migration