# How to import external DNS zones to Openprovider nameservers?

## Question

How to import existing DNS zones that are hosted elsewhere to Openprovider nameservers?

## Answer

### Using Openprovider API to create DNS zones

In order to populate multiple zones at once with a number of records it is highly advised to utilise Openprovider [API modifyZoneRequest method](https://openprovider.help/books/api-plugins/page/3-zones-api-how-to-modify-a-zone).

For each domain and each zone, one should follow these steps:

1. Get current contents of a DNS zone
2. [Create a DNS zone](https://openprovider.help/books/api-plugins/page/1-zones-api-how-to-create-a-zone) in Openprovider, to create zone and add records.
3. [Update the domain](https://openprovider.help/books/api-plugins/page/21-domains-api-how-to-update-domains-attributes)  
    Once the zone is available in Openprovider, you can update the nameservers that are linked to the domain name. The only required variables here are the **domain** and the **ns\_group**, which must be set to *dns-openprovider*.

<span>**NOTE**: </span>If you want to use Premium Global Anycast DNS Service by Sectigo, use **"provider":"sectigo"** when creating the zone in step 2. And in step 3, you can use ***dns-sectigo***as the **ns\_group** instead of ***dns-openprovider.***

### Updating domains

Once the import is finished, update the domains via [bulk operation tool](https://cp.openprovider.eu/web/action/index#/bulk/new/modify/select-domains?utm_source=KB-Article&utm_medium=kb&utm_campaign=KB) to use ***dns-openprovider*** nameserver group. For Sectigo DNS, use ***dns-sectigo*** nameserver group for domains to start using Sectigo premium DNS.