Connect GoDaddy to DNS Spy
Connecting GoDaddy to DNS Spy imports every DNS record from the domains in your GoDaddy account and keeps them monitored automatically. This guide walks through creating a read-only Personal Access Token and connecting it to your team.
What You Get
Full import – every record from every active domain in your GoDaddy account is imported into DNS Spy.
Recurring sync – DNS Spy periodically re-reads your zones and picks up new or changed records, so your monitoring never drifts out of date.
Resolver-first monitoring – the GoDaddy API is used only to discover which records exist. The values DNS Spy monitors always come from live queries against your authoritative nameservers, from multiple locations worldwide.
Before You Start
All you need is a GoDaddy account with at least one domain. If you tried to use the GoDaddy API between May 2024 and April 2026 you may remember it being restricted to accounts with 10 or more domains — that restriction is gone. Since April 2026, every GoDaddy account can create API tokens.
Step 1: Create a Personal Access Token
Sign in to the GoDaddy Developer Portal at developer.godaddy.com and create a Personal Access Token. When choosing scopes, grant only the two read scopes DNS Spy needs:
domains.domain:read – lets DNS Spy list the domains in your account.
domains.dns:read – lets DNS Spy read the DNS records in each zone.
A token with only these scopes cannot edit records, transfer domains, renew anything, or spend money. Copy the token when it is shown — GoDaddy displays it only once.
Step 2: Connect It to DNS Spy
In DNS Spy, go to Team Settings → DNS Providers, click Add, choose GoDaddy, and paste the token. Use Test Connection to verify it — DNS Spy will confirm it can reach your account and count your domains. The token is stored encrypted and is never displayed again.
Step 3: Import Your Domains
After saving the connection, DNS Spy lists every active domain in your GoDaddy account. Tick the ones you want monitored and import them in one step — each arrives with its complete record list, and monitoring from resolvers worldwide starts immediately. Domains you already monitor in DNS Spy can be linked to the connection so their record lists sync too.
How Sync Behaves
DNS Spy re-reads your GoDaddy zones every six hours. New records are imported automatically; records deleted at GoDaddy are never silently dropped from monitoring — instead, DNS Spy alerts you when they stop resolving, because a disappearing record is exactly the event a DNS monitor exists to catch. Syncing is comfortably within GoDaddy's API quota of 20,000 requests per month.
Troubleshooting
ACCESS_DENIED or 403 errors – the token is missing a scope. Recreate it with both domains.domain:read and domains.dns:read. (Before April 2026 this error also meant your account had fewer than 10 domains; that restriction no longer exists.)
Authentication failed – the token was copied incompletely, has expired, or was revoked. Create a fresh token and update the connection; your imported domains and history stay intact.
A domain is missing from the import list – DNS Spy lists domains with ACTIVE status in GoDaddy. Expired, pending, or cancelled domains do not appear until they are active again.
DNS is hosted somewhere else – if a domain is registered at GoDaddy but delegates to other nameservers (Cloudflare, Route 53, …), the GoDaddy zone is not what the world sees. Connect the provider that actually hosts the DNS, or add the domain normally and let DNS Spy discover its records from the live nameservers.
GoDaddy is a trademark of GoDaddy Operating Company, LLC. DNS Spy is not affiliated with or endorsed by GoDaddy.
