DNS Change Detection
SiteBrief snapshots your DNS records daily and alerts you the moment an A, AAAA, NS, MX or other record changes — so hijacks, accidental edits and expiring delegations never go unnoticed.
Why it matters
DNS is the single point of failure most people never monitor. A changed A record can silently point a domain at the wrong server; a changed NS record can mean a domain hijack or a transfer you didn't authorize; a changed MX record can break email delivery for an entire company. These changes don't trigger an uptime alert — the site may still respond — so they slip through unless you watch the records themselves.
Records monitored
| Record | What a change can mean |
|---|---|
| A / AAAA | The domain now points to a different server (migration, misconfiguration, or compromise) |
| NS | Nameserver delegation changed — possible domain hijack or unauthorized transfer |
| MX | Mail routing changed — email delivery may be broken or intercepted |
| CNAME | An alias was repointed (e.g. a CDN or subdomain target changed) |
| TXT | SPF/DKIM/verification records changed — can break email auth or domain verification |
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Warning:An unexpected NS or A record change is one of the strongest early signals of a domain compromise. Treat these alerts as high priority.
How it works
- SiteBrief records a baseline snapshot of your domain's DNS records
- Once a day it re-queries the records and compares them to the last known good state
- If anything changed, you get an alert showing the record type, the old value and the new value
- You confirm the change (accept the new baseline) or investigate if it was unexpected
ℹ️
Note:DNS Change Detection is available on all plans. Pair it with Network Diagnostics to catch both the change and any downtime it causes.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly will I know about a change?
Records are checked daily, so a change is surfaced within 24 hours. For most DNS scenarios (migrations, hijacks, accidental edits) that window is enough to act before real damage occurs.
I changed DNS on purpose — how do I stop the alerts?
Accept the new value as the baseline from the alert. SiteBrief will then only alert again if the records change away from that new state.
Does this replace SSL and domain-expiry monitoring?
No — it complements them. SSL/domain monitoring watches certificate and registration expiry; DNS Change Detection watches the records themselves for unexpected edits.