DNS Rewrites
What Are DNS Rewrites
DNS rewrites let you return a custom IP address (or another hostname) in response to a DNS query for a specific domain. This happens before any routing policy is applied, making it useful for local service redirection, captive portal bypasses, and intercepting hardcoded DNS resolvers.
Common Use Cases
- Local hostname resolution: Make
nas.homeresolve to192.168.1.50without a local DNS server - Intercept DoH resolvers: Return a blocked address for
dns.googleorcloudflare-dns.comto prevent apps from bypassing TLSOps filtering - Redirect a service: Send a domain to a local IP to use a self-hosted mirror
Adding a DNS Rewrite
- Go to the DNS Rewrites tab in the dashboard
- Click Add Rewrite
- Enter the domain — for example
nas.homeordns.google - Enter the IP address or hostname to return
- Click Save — the rewrite applies to the next DNS query for that domain, network-wide
Removing a Rewrite
- Go to the DNS Rewrites tab in the dashboard
- Find the entry and click Delete
- The domain resolves normally again from the next query onward
Notes
- Rewrites override all upstream DNS responses — they take precedence over real DNS records
- Rewrites do not route traffic — they only change what IP address is returned. For routing changes, use Domain Routing
- Wildcard rewrites (
*.home) are supported