How to fix DNSSEC (DS records) at Hover (Tucows)

The DS record at your registrar tells the world your zone is DNSSEC-signed, and by which key. When it goes stale — classically after switching DNS providers — validating resolvers (Google 8.8.8.8, Cloudflare 1.1.1.1, most ISPs) return SERVFAIL and your site goes dark for those users while everything looks fine on your end.

⚠ Switching DNS providers on a DNSSEC-signed domain? Remove the DS record (or disable DNSSEC) at the registrar FIRST, and keep the old zone signed until the DS TTL has fully expired — changing nameservers while the old DS is cached makes validating resolvers return SERVFAIL (per Cloudflare's DNSSEC documentation).

Managing DS records manually

1. Domain Overview page → DNSSEC section → Add DS record (Key tag, Algorithm type, Digest type, Digest).
2. To remove: select the DS record → Delete.

Fixing a broken (bogus) chain

1. Confirm the break: our DNSSEC checker (or DNSViz) shows whether the DS at the registry matches the keys your DNS provider is actually signing with.
2. If you recently changed DNS providers: either publish the NEW provider's DS record here (get the values from their dashboard), or remove the DS entirely to unsign the domain — resolvers recover as caches expire.
3. If the DS is right but signatures expired, the fix is at your DNS provider (re-signing), not the registrar.

Hover (Tucows) supports removing the DS record while keeping the domain.

⚠ Hover's own warning: removing a DS record while DNSSEC signing is still active at your DNS provider can cause validation failures — coordinate both sides.

Steps verified against Hover: DNSSEC services and related Hover (Tucows) docs on 2026-07-14.