{"id":9743,"date":"2026-06-03T09:58:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T07:58:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/?post_type=manual_kb&#038;p=9743"},"modified":"2026-06-03T09:58:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T07:58:19","slug":"what-is-ttl","status":"publish","type":"manual_kb","link":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-is-ttl\/","title":{"rendered":"What is TTL"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TTL (Time To Live) is a parameter used in computer networks to define how long information remains valid before it must be refreshed or discarded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When managing websites and domains, you will most commonly encounter TTL values in DNS zone records, where TTL determines how long DNS servers and other systems may cache a record before checking for updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"mybox-1726919438\" class=\"mybox-content mybox-entity-placement\"><div class=\"early-access-banner-inpost\">\r\n  <div class=\"banner-left-inpost\">\r\n    <div class=\"icon-box-inpost\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/square-info-icon.svg\" alt=\"Info\">\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"text-box-inpost\">\r\n      <span class=\"label-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Early access<\/span><\/span>\r\n      <h4><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Still need help?<\/span><\/h4>\r\n      <p><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Contact our customer service team.<\/span><\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"banner-right-inpost\">\r\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/panel.mybox.com\/helpdesk2\/v\/list\/\" class=\"banner-button-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Message us<\/span><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\"><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At mybox, the default TTL value for DNS records is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>900\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">seconds (15 minutes).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-is-ttl\/#How_Does_TTL_Work_in_DNS\" >How Does TTL Work in DNS?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-is-ttl\/#Why_Is_TTL_Important\" >Why Is TTL Important?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-is-ttl\/#Lower_TTL_Values\" >Lower TTL Values<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-is-ttl\/#Higher_TTL_Values\" >Higher TTL Values<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-is-ttl\/#Example\" >Example<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-is-ttl\/#TTL_in_Network_Packets\" >TTL in Network Packets<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-is-ttl\/#Why_Is_Packet_TTL_Used\" >Why Is Packet TTL Used?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-is-ttl\/#Summary\" >Summary<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Does_TTL_Work_in_DNS\"><\/span>How Does TTL Work in DNS?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When a user visits your website, their computer asks a DNS server for information about your domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DNS server responds with the appropriate record, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>example.com \u2192 192.0.2.10\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Along with the record, the server also provides a TTL value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>TTL = 900\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This tells other DNS servers and devices that they may cache the result for 900 seconds before they need to query the DNS zone again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the TTL expires, the record is retrieved again from the authoritative DNS server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Is_TTL_Important\"><\/span>Why Is TTL Important?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TTL affects how quickly DNS changes become visible across the Internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lower_TTL_Values\"><\/span>Lower TTL Values<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>300\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">seconds<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Advantages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>DNS changes propagate more quickly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Useful before planned migrations or server changes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Disadvantages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Increased number of DNS queries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Slightly higher DNS server load.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Higher_TTL_Values\"><\/span>Higher TTL Values<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>86400\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">seconds (24 hours)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Advantages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reduced DNS traffic.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Faster DNS responses due to longer caching.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Disadvantages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Changes take longer to propagate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Example\"><\/span>Example<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Assume your domain currently points to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>203.0.113.10\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">with a TTL of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>900\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you change the record to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>203.0.113.20\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">users may continue seeing the old IP address until the cached record expires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With a TTL of 900 seconds, most users should see the new value within approximately 15 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"TTL_in_Network_Packets\"><\/span>TTL in Network Packets<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TTL is also used at the network level in IP packets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this context, TTL does not represent time in seconds. Instead, it represents the maximum number of network devices (hops) a packet may pass through before it is discarded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each router that forwards a packet decreases the TTL value by one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>TTL = 64\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After passing through:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>Router 1 \u2192 TTL = 63\nRouter 2 \u2192 TTL = 62\nRouter 3 \u2192 TTL = 61\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If TTL reaches:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>0\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">the packet is discarded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Is_Packet_TTL_Used\"><\/span>Why Is Packet TTL Used?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Packet TTL prevents routing loops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Without TTL, a misconfigured network could cause packets to circulate indefinitely between routers, consuming bandwidth and network resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TTL ensures that packets are eventually discarded if they cannot reach their destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary\"><\/span>Summary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TTL (Time To Live) defines how long data remains valid before it must be refreshed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In DNS:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>TTL is measured in seconds.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It determines how long DNS records are cached.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The default value at mybox is 900 seconds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In network communication:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>TTL determines the maximum number of hops a packet may travel.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Each router decreases the value by one.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Packets reaching a TTL of zero are discarded.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Proper TTL configuration helps balance DNS performance, propagation speed, and network efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","manualknowledgebasecat":[62],"manual_kb_tag":[4895,4896,4897,4898,4899,4900,4901,170,204,2014],"class_list":["post-9743","manual_kb","type-manual_kb","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","manualknowledgebasecat-domain-management-in-panel","manual_kb_tag-time-to-live","manual_kb_tag-dns-ttl","manual_kb_tag-dns-zone-records","manual_kb_tag-authoritative-dns","manual_kb_tag-ttl-value","manual_kb_tag-ttl-configuration","manual_kb_tag-default-ttl-value","manual_kb_tag-dns-propagation","manual_kb_tag-dns-records","manual_kb_tag-dns-caching"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/9743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/manual_kb"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/9743\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9744,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/9743\/revisions\/9744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"manualknowledgebasecat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manualknowledgebasecat?post=9743"},{"taxonomy":"manual_kb_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb_tag?post=9743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}