Zone file

DNS Zone File
Filename extension
.zone
Internet media type
text/dns
Developed byISI
Initial release1987; 37 years ago (1987)
Type of formatFile format
StandardsRFC 1034, 1035, 2308, 4027
Open format?Yes

A Domain Name System (DNS) zone file is a text file that describes a DNS zone. A DNS zone is a subset, often a single domain, of the hierarchical domain name structure of the DNS. The zone file contains mappings between domain names and IP addresses and other resources, organized in the form of text representations of resource records (RR). A zone file may be either a DNS master file, authoritatively describing a zone, or it may be used to list the contents of a DNS cache.[1]

  1. ^ RFC 1035, Domain Names - Implementation and Specification, P. Mockapetris, (November 1987)