What are Glue Records (Host Objects)?
Definition
Glue records are DNS records that store the IP address of a nameserver when that nameserver is part of the same domain it is responsible for resolving.
Intrinsic problem und how Glue Records solve this
The core issue is a bootstrapping problem: DNS must resolve a domain to find its nameserver, but it also needs the nameserver to resolve the domain. Glue records solve this only partially and rely on external (parent zone) configuration, which introduces administrative dependency and potential inconsistency.
Purpose
They are used to avoid circular dependencies in DNS resolution. Without glue records, a domain could not locate its own authoritative nameserver if that nameserver is defined within the same domain zone.
Usage
You use glue records when your nameservers are part of your own domain (for example ns1.example.com for example.com). In that case, DNS would otherwise not be able to find the nameserver without already knowing the domain’s IP address, so the parent zone (e.g. the registrar) must store these glue records to make resolution possible.
Examples
- example.com uses ns1.example.com as a nameserver → the parent zone provides a glue record mapping ns1.example.com to its IP address.
- domain.org delegates DNS to dns1.domain.org → the registrar includes a glue record so resolvers can reach the nameserver without first resolving the domain.
How Host Objects differ from Vanity / Virtual Nameservers.
Vanity (virtual) nameservers and glue records are often confused, so it is important to distinguish them clearly.
Glue records are a DNS feature that help avoid a “chicken-and-egg” problem. They store the IP address of nameservers that are inside the same domain they are responsible for, so DNS can find the nameserver in the first place and start resolving the domain correctly.
Vanity or virtual nameservers, on the other hand, are mainly a branding concept where a domain uses custom-looking nameserver names (e.g. ns1.brand.com), which typically point to an external DNS provider’s infrastructure like OpusDNS. They do not solve any DNS bootstrapping issue themselves.
The reason they are often confused is that both can involve in-zone nameserver names like ns1.example.com, and vanity setups may still rely on glue records when those nameservers are inside the domain. However, the key difference is that glue records are a low-level infrastructure requirement, while vanity nameservers are purely a presentation layer for DNS branding.
How to set up Glue Records (Host Objects)
Where to find it?
Left Sidebar → Domains → All Domains → Select a Domain → Nameserver tab → Hosts
Direct URL: /domains/[DOMAIN]/nameservers
What you will see
You will find two main configuration areas presented as tabs:
- Nameserver tab:
Here you can choose between the default OpusDNS nameservers or configure custom nameservers if you manage DNS externally or run your own setup. - Hosts tab:
This section contains a table for host (glue record) management. It is initially empty and will show entries with the following columns:
hostname, IP address, creation date, and last updated date.
Here you can add or manage host entries (glue records).
Step-by-step guide
- Open the domain management area via Left Sidebar → Domains → All Domains.
- Select the domain you want to configure.
- Go to the Nameserver tab.
- Navigate to Hosts.
- Click Add Host to add a new glue record.
-
Enter the hostname (e.g.
ns1.example.com). Since this is a glue record, the domain itself is already implied, so you only need to specify the subdomain part of the nameserver (e.g.ns1,ns2) depending on your naming scheme. - Add one or more IP addresses for this host when prompted. This step defines the glue record, linking the nameserver hostname to its reachable IP address.
- Create the host entry.
- Repeat the process to create additional glue records if needed (commonly
ns1.example.com,ns2.example.com, etc.), ideally with separate IP addresses for redundancy and a robust DNS setup.
