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Set DNS with united-domains

Connect a united-domains API key once. MainPath writes A and CNAME records into your zone.

On this page

If your domain lives at united-domains, you no longer have to copy records by hand. You store an API key under Connections; once a project has domains, MainPath writes the records into the matching zone.

Manual DNS is still possible. See Configure a DNS record.

API key at united-domains

This uses the united-domains DNS API (dnsapi.united-domains.de), the same API model as IONOS Hosting DNS. The domain reselling API and keys from IONOS Cloud will not work here.

  1. Sign in to your united-domains account.
  2. Book the DNS API product for the portfolio if it is not active yet.
  3. Open Getting started with the APIs and create an API key.
  4. Copy the public prefix and secret. In MainPath you enter them as a single line prefix.secret (joined with a dot). Do not paste them with a space or a line break.

Without the DNS API product booked, united-domains rejects the key. The API covers every domain in the portfolio whose nameservers point to united-domains (ns.udag.de, ns.udag.net, ns.udag.org).

Connection in MainPath

  1. Open Connections and Add connection.
  2. Under DNS, choose the united-domains tile.
  3. Paste the API key and save. MainPath checks whether the key is valid and which zones it can see.

Several united-domains connections in one organization are allowed. If a hostname matches more than one zone, MainPath uses the most specific one (shop.example.com before example.com).

What is written

MainPath uses the same hosts you see under Domains.

  • Records are only written when a real server address already exists.
  • Existing records of the same type are updated; the whole zone is never replaced.
  • Changes usually show up quickly.
flowchart LR
  org["united-domains connection"]
  domains["Domains in MainPath"]
  zone["united-domains zone"]
  server["Your server"]
  org --> zone
  domains -->|"A / CNAME"| zone
  zone --> server

After you save a project, MainPath tries to align missing or mismatched records. You can see the check status in the domain overview.

SSL via DNS-01 (optional)

If Let’s Encrypt cannot reach the server (no public HTTP/443, firewall, internal IP), open this connection’s details and tick the affected domains. MainPath then writes the _acme-challenge TXT record into this zone. Unticked domains keep the existing TLS-ALPN challenge on the server.

Troubleshooting

  • Invalid key: Check the prefix.secret format (one dot, no spaces), book the DNS API in the portfolio, and update the connection.
  • No record at united-domains: The domain is not in a zone this key can see. Check the account or zone name.
  • Zone visible, domain unreachable: The zone exists, but the domain’s nameservers point elsewhere. MainPath flags this in the connection details and on Domains. Point the nameservers at the registrar to ns.udag.de, ns.udag.net, and ns.udag.org.
  • Status in MainPath still red: DNS often takes a few minutes, or the server does not have a known address yet.

See also