When your website is connected to ESA by using the NS or CNAME method, you must add DNS records to ensure that your domain name resolves correctly and to accelerate access.ESA provides two methods to add DNS records: batch import and manual input. This topic describes how to quickly add DNS records.
Prerequisites
Before adding DNS records, ensure you meet the following requirements:
You have connected your website to ESA using the NS or CNAME method.
You have permission from your DNS provider to add or modify DNS records.
You understand the basic concepts and uses of common DNS record types, such as A, CNAME, MX, and TXT.
Usage notes
When you add or modify a DNS record, check the values for the hostname and the origin:
The hostname cannot match the hostname or origin of an existing DNS record, and it cannot be an origin in an origin pool.
The origin cannot match the hostname of an existing DNS record.
Method 1: Bulk import DNS records
To add multiple records, you can import them in bulk by using a template. This method is ideal if you are migrating existing DNS records from another DNS provider to ESA. If you need to add a single record, see Manually add a DNS record.
In the ESA console, select Websites, and in the Website column, click the target site.
Select and click Import.
Select Import From Template and click Download Template. Edit the DNS record information in the template and save the file. Then, click Select File and choose the saved template.
On the Import page, review and adjust the record configurations.
By default, ESA provides only DNS resolution services. To enable ESA acceleration, turn on the proxy switch in the Proxy Status column.
NoteFor websites connected using the CNAME method, the proxy is enabled by default and the Proxy Status cannot be changed.
For websites connected using the NS method, proxying can only be enabled or disabled for A, AAAA, and CNAME records.
For information about different use cases, see Use case descriptions.
After adjusting the DNS records, click OK.
(Optional) For websites connected using the CNAME method, follow the on-screen instructions to configure the CNAME record with your DNS provider after adding the record.
Method 2: Manually add a DNS record
To add a single record, enter its details manually. This method is ideal for new setups or for adding only a few records.
Example scenario
Assume your origin domain is example.com, and you want to accelerate web pages for the subdomain www.example.com by using a CNAME record. This example shows how to add the DNS record for this scenario.
Procedure
In the ESA console, go to Websites and click the target website in the Website column.
Select and click Add Record.
Enter the required parameters and click Next. For more information about record types and parameters, see Parameter descriptions for adding records.
Parameter
Description
Example value
Record Type
Select the record type.
CNAMEHostname
The prefix of the subdomain. Supports lowercase letters, numbers, wildcards
*(for wildcard domain records only), hyphens-(cannot be the first or last character),@(for root domain records only), and underscores_(supported at the start of TXT, CAA, CNAME, NS, and SRV records only when proxy acceleration is disabled). The maximum length is 63 characters.wwwProxy Status
Turn on the toggle switch to enable proxy acceleration.
Enabled
Record Value
Select the type of record value.
Domain Name
Domain Name
Enter the origin domain name.
example.comOrigin Host
The default setting is Match Requested Domain Name, which is typically sufficient. If no origin rule is configured, ESA applies the following defaults: the origin host is determined by the HOST policy in the DNS record, the origin SNI matches the origin host value, and the origin protocol and port match the client's request.
Match Requested Domain Name
Select the Web use case and click OK. For information about different use cases, see Use case descriptions.
(Optional) For websites connected using the CNAME method, follow the on-screen instructions to configure the CNAME record with your DNS provider after adding the record.
Use cases
In the scenario configuration for DNS records, ESA provides 5 business scenarios. By selecting the scenario type that corresponds to your business scenario, you can dynamically assign a more suitable security acceleration policy to your domain name. You can edit records and adjust business types at any time in the console.
Use case | Description |
Web | Suitable for accelerating websites with a mix of static content (small files) and dynamic content (API requests). Examples: personal blogs, small user-generated content (UGC) communities, and small independent e-commerce sites. |
Large File Download | Ideal for large file distribution scenarios. Examples: software installation packages (apps, games, clients), patch updates, and firmware upgrades. Caching large files at the edge reduces origin load and improves download speeds. |
Audio/Video On-Demand | Suitable for accelerating the distribution of on-demand audio and video content. Examples: short video playback and live stream replays. |
API Acceleration | Designed for accelerating purely dynamic, API-based services that generally do not require caching. Examples: account password verification, order payment processing, log uploads, and real-time data synchronization. |
AI Tokens | Optimized for AI model inference scenarios, accelerating high-frequency, small requests at the token level. Examples: streaming inference APIs for Large Language Models (LLMs), real-time token-level translation, and intelligent chatbot conversations. Edge acceleration reduces end-to-end latency for token requests. |
When using the Audio/Video On-Demand or Large File Download use cases, we recommend enabling resource abuse protection to prevent malicious resource consumption and avoid unnecessary costs.
When using the API Acceleration or AI Tokens use cases, the system automatically creates optimized configuration rule templates, which you can manually disable. These templates configure cache eligibility and enable smart routing. Note that smart routing is a separately billed feature.