QuickCloud
/
Enterprise Smart DNS

Your DNS should do more than point to an IP address.

Keep your websites and applications available with intelligent DNS routing, automatic health checks and failover. QuickCloud Enterprise Smart DNS monitors your destinations and adjusts DNS responses when a service becomes unavailable, without you having to make manual changes.

Add Your Domain Explore Features

Automatic DNS failover
Continuous health checks
Weighted traffic routing
Managed through QuickCloud

Both servers are healthy. Answers follow the 70 / 30 weights. Illustration

Visitorlooks up www.example.com

Smart DNSAnswer: 192.0.2.10

Server AHealthy

192.0.2.10 · weight 70

70% of answers

Server BHealthy

192.0.2.20 · weight 30

30% of answers

Illustration only. New lookups follow the change; existing connections and cached answers are not moved.

Own UK datacentreWe own and operate our hosting infrastructure

ISO 9001 & 27001Certified operations

Hosting since 2012Experienced UK support team

QuickCloud integrationManage DNS alongside your other infrastructure

Why Enterprise Smart DNS

Smarter DNS. Less downtime. More control.

Traditional DNS points visitors towards your services. Enterprise Smart DNS adds intelligent routing and availability monitoring, helping you respond automatically when a destination stops working.

Automatic Failover

Keep directing visitors to healthy servers.

When a monitored destination fails its configured health checks, Smart DNS can remove it from eligible DNS responses and direct new lookups towards available alternatives.

Health Monitoring

Know when a destination stops responding.

Monitor supported services using configurable health checks and automatically adjust eligible routing decisions based on their status.

Weighted DNS Routing

Choose how traffic is distributed.

Set relative weights for multiple destinations to influence how DNS answers are distributed between them.

Multiple Destinations

Build resilience into your DNS configuration.

Configure alternative destinations for websites, applications and other supported DNS-based services.

Centralised DNS Management

All your DNS zones in one place.

Manage records, routing policies and supported monitoring settings from your QuickCloud Workspace.

API & Automation

Make DNS part of your workflow.

Automate supported DNS operations through the QuickCloud API, command-line tool or compatible AI assistants.

Automatic DNS failover

When a server fails, your DNS responds.

Enterprise Smart DNS can monitor your configured destinations and change which addresses it returns when a service becomes unavailable.

1
Add Your Destinations
Configure the servers or endpoints you want Smart DNS to use.
2
Enable Health Checks
Choose the supported checks that determine whether a destination is available.
3
Smart DNS Monitors Availability
QuickCloud monitors the configured destinations and evaluates their health.
4
Failed Destinations Are Excluded
When a destination is marked unhealthy, Smart DNS updates its routing decisions so subsequent eligible DNS queries can be answered with healthy alternatives.

DNS-based failover depends on health-check detection, DNS TTL values and caching by external resolvers. Existing connections are not automatically transferred between servers. TTLs can be set as low as 60 seconds.

Weighted traffic routing

Direct traffic where you need it.

Distribute DNS responses between multiple destinations using configurable weights. Useful for spreading demand, gradually introducing new infrastructure or influencing which servers receive new connections.

Server A weight70

Server B weight30

Approximate share of DNS answers

Server A · 70%Server B · 30%

Distribute new traffic across multiple servers
Gradually introduce replacement infrastructure
Prefer a primary destination while retaining alternatives
Adjust routing policies as infrastructure requirements change

Weighted DNS influences which destinations are returned in DNS responses. Actual user traffic distribution may differ because of DNS caching, client behaviour and connection patterns. It is not a replacement for a load balancer.

Simple DNS management

All your DNS. One workspace.

Create DNS zones, manage records and configure intelligent routing without switching between separate DNS management systems.

DNS zone management
Standard DNS records
Weighted, failover and geographic routing policies
Health checks
QuickCloud API access
Centralised administration

cloud.quickhost.uk · DNSExample

example.com Nameservers OK

NameTypeValuePolicy

@A192.0.2.10 healthy
192.0.2.20 healthyWeighted 70 / 30

wwwCNAMEexample.comSimple

@MX10 mail.example.comSimple

@TXT"v=spf1 mx -all"Simple

shopAGB → 192.0.2.30
default → 198.51.100.30Geographic

Real-world uses

Built for websites, applications and growing infrastructure.

High-Availability Websites

Configure multiple web server destinations and use health checks to avoid returning failed endpoints.

Multi-Server Applications

Use weighted routing to influence how new DNS lookups are distributed across application infrastructure.

Disaster Recovery

Maintain alternative destinations that Smart DNS can return when a monitored primary service becomes unavailable.

Infrastructure Migration

Use weighted DNS routing to help introduce new infrastructure gradually while monitoring availability.

Geographic Routing

Return different answers by visitor location, for example a UK destination for UK visitors and a default for everyone else.

DNS hosting and pricing

Intelligent DNS without complicated pricing.

Start managing your DNS through QuickCloud and add intelligent routing and monitoring where you need them.

First DNS zoneFreeIncluded on every QuickCloud account

Additional zones£0.34/zone/monthBilled hourly

Geographic routing£1.49/zone/monthOptional, per zone

Example: number of DNS zones3

Zones with geographic routing0

Included with every zone

Standard DNS records
Weighted and failover routing
No per-query charges
Management in the panel, API and AI

Example monthly cost

£0.68/ month

Add Your First Domain Open QuickCloud

Billed hourly from your QuickCloud credit. Any optional charges are shown in the panel before you enable them. Prices exclude VAT.

Getting started

Connect your domain in minutes.

Add your domain to QuickCloud, configure your DNS records and update your domain's nameservers at your registrar.

1
Add Your Domain
Create your DNS zone in QuickCloud.
2
Configure Your Records
Add the records and routing policies required by your services.
3
Update Your Nameservers
Point your domain to the QuickCloud nameservers shown in your Workspace, through your registrar.

Recreate all of your existing DNS records in QuickCloud before you change nameservers, especially email (MX, SPF and DKIM) records. Switching first could interrupt your website or email. Nameserver changes can take time to take effect because of DNS caching.

Manage it your way

Click, script or just ask.

cloud.quickhost.uk · DNS · app.example.comExample

app.example.com · A · failover Serving secondary

Primary192.0.2.10 · health check failing

Secondary198.51.100.20 · healthy

Health checkHTTPS · /health

TTL60 seconds

RecordsHealth checksNameservers

QuickCloud API · v1Example

GET /api/v1/dns/zones/example.com
Authorization: Bearer qc_••••••••••••

200 OK
{ "name": "example.com",
  "rrsets": [ {
    "name": "", "type": "A", "policy": "weighted",
    "records": [
      { "content": "192.0.2.10", "weight": 70 },
      { "content": "192.0.2.20", "weight": 30 } ]
  } ] }
# scoped keys can be limited to one zone

qc · your-workspaceExample

$ qc dns records example.com
NAME   TYPE   POLICY     VALUE
@      A      weighted   192.0.2.10 (70) 192.0.2.20 (30)
www    CNAME  simple     example.com
@      MX     simple     10 mail.example.com

✓ 2 destinations healthy

Ask AI · or your own assistant via MCPExample AI workflow

Show me the DNS records for example.com and check which destinations are healthy.

I found two configured web server destinations. Both are currently reporting healthy.

Connect Your AI Assistant

Example only, not live account information. Available actions depend on the connector's supported tools and your permissions.

Part of QuickCloud

Smart DNS works better with the rest of your infrastructure.

Use Enterprise Smart DNS alongside cloud servers, load balancers, firewalls and other services from the same QuickCloud Workspace.

Explore QuickCloud Workspace

Cloud VMs

Deploy Linux or Windows servers for your websites and applications.

Learn more

Load Balancers

Distribute application connections across multiple backend servers.

Learn more

Cloud Firewall & VPN

Secure your infrastructure and control access.

Learn more

Managed Databases

Deploy managed database services to support your applications.

Learn more

Dedicated Servers

Combine DNS routing with your dedicated infrastructure.

Learn more

Smart DNS decides which address a visitor is given. A load balancer sits in the path of the connection itself and spreads it across your servers. Many setups use both.

FAQ

Questions about Enterprise Smart DNS

Something else? Talk to our UK team.

What is Enterprise Smart DNS?

Enterprise Smart DNS combines conventional DNS hosting with intelligent routing and health monitoring. It can adjust DNS responses when a configured destination becomes unavailable.

What happens if my server goes offline?

If a monitored destination fails its configured health checks, Smart DNS can exclude it from eligible DNS responses and direct subsequent lookups towards healthy alternatives. How quickly your users notice depends on health-check intervals and DNS caching.

Can I use Smart DNS with servers hosted elsewhere?

Yes. DNS routing is not limited to QuickCloud-hosted servers. External endpoints can be used where supported by the available monitoring and routing configuration.

What is weighted DNS routing?

Weighted routing allows you to assign relative weights to DNS destinations, influencing how DNS answers are distributed between them.

Is this the same as a load balancer?

No. Smart DNS influences which destination a client resolves through DNS. A load balancer handles application or network connections directly and may provide different traffic management capabilities.

Do I need to transfer my domain to QuickHost?

No. You can normally keep your existing domain registrar and update your nameservers to use QuickCloud DNS.

How much does Enterprise Smart DNS cost?

Your first DNS zone is free, with additional zones charged according to the current QuickCloud pricing shown on this page. Any optional feature charges are displayed in the panel before you enable them.

Can I manage DNS through AI?

Yes. QuickCloud supports a built-in AI assistant and compatible external AI assistants through MCP. Available management actions depend on the connector's supported tools and your permissions.

Can I use Enterprise Smart DNS with my existing infrastructure?

Yes. Smart DNS can be configured to direct traffic to supported destinations without requiring your applications to move into QuickCloud.

Where can I manage my DNS?

All DNS zones, records and supported routing features can be managed through your QuickCloud Workspace.

Your DNS, working harder for you.

Add your domain to QuickCloud and take control of DNS hosting, traffic routing and automatic failover from one workspace.

Add Your Domain Explore Pricing

Your DNS should do more than point to an IP address.

Smarter DNS. Less downtime. More control.

Automatic Failover

Health Monitoring

Weighted DNS Routing

Multiple Destinations

Centralised DNS Management

API & Automation

When a server fails, your DNS responds.

Add Your Destinations

Enable Health Checks

Smart DNS Monitors Availability

Failed Destinations Are Excluded

Direct traffic where you need it.

All your DNS. One workspace.

Built for websites, applications and growing infrastructure.

High-Availability Websites

Multi-Server Applications

Disaster Recovery

Infrastructure Migration

Geographic Routing

Intelligent DNS without complicated pricing.

Connect your domain in minutes.

Add Your Domain

Configure Your Records

Update Your Nameservers

Click, script or just ask.

Smart DNS works better with the rest of your infrastructure.

Cloud VMs

Load Balancers

Cloud Firewall & VPN

Managed Databases

Dedicated Servers

Questions about Enterprise Smart DNS

Your DNS, working harder for you.