Web Forwards
Track provider-managed DNS redirects (HTTP 301/302) — monitor target URLs, validate redirect chains, and detect broken forwards across CSC and UltraDNS providers.
A Web Forward (also called a DNS Redirect) represents an HTTP redirect configured at the DNS provider level. Some providers — notably CSC Basic and Vercara UltraDNS — support configuring HTTP 301/302 redirects directly through their platform rather than requiring a separate web server.
DNS Watchdog discovers web forwards during provider sync and validates that the target URL is reachable. Broken web forwards can indicate abandoned infrastructure or misconfigured redirects.
Key fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Hostname | The source hostname (e.g. old-site) |
| FQDN | Fully qualified source domain (e.g. old-site.example.com) |
| Zone | The zone this forward belongs to |
| Provider | The DNS provider managing this forward |
| Source Path | Optional path component of the source URL |
| Target URL | The destination URL traffic is redirected to |
| Redirect Type | 301 (permanent) or 302 (temporary) |
| Status | active or deleted |
Validation
DNS Watchdog periodically validates each web forward by checking whether the target URL is reachable:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Validation Status | pending — not yet checked, valid — target is reachable, broken — target is unreachable or returns an error |
| Validation Error | Error details when the target URL is unreachable (e.g. connection timeout, DNS resolution failure) |
| Last Validated | Timestamp of the most recent validation check |
Associated issues
| Issue | Severity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Broken DNS Redirect | Warning | Target URL is unreachable or returns an error — may indicate misconfiguration or abandoned infrastructure |
Actions
- Delete — soft-delete a web forward (can be restored)
- Restore — recover a previously deleted web forward
- Rescan — trigger a manual validation of the target URL
- Bulk delete / restore / rescan — manage multiple web forwards at once
Supported providers
Web forwards are only available from providers that support them natively:
| Provider | Support |
|---|---|
| CSC Basic | Full support — discovers and tracks all DNS redirects |
| Vercara UltraDNS | Full support — discovers and tracks all DNS redirects |
| Route 53, Cloudflare, Azure DNS, Google Cloud DNS | Not supported — these providers do not have a native web forward feature |