GoDaddy Guide

Manage domains, DNS records, and SSL certificates through the GoDaddy API.

When this applies

• Checking domain availability or registration status
• Managing DNS records (A, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS)
• Transferring domains in or out
• Renewing or purchasing domains
• Managing SSL certificates

Auth

All requests use header: Authorization: sso-key {API_KEY}:{API_SECRET}. Test environment: api.ote-godaddy.com. Production: api.godaddy.com.

Essential Operations

Domain Lookup & Management

• GET /v1/domains/available?domain=example.com — check availability
• GET /v1/domains — list owned domains
• GET /v1/domains/{domain} — domain details (expiry, status, nameservers)
• POST /v1/domains/purchase — register a domain
• POST /v1/domains/{domain}/renew — renew domain
• DELETE /v1/domains/{domain} — cancel domain

DNS Records

• GET /v1/domains/{domain}/records — list all DNS records
• GET /v1/domains/{domain}/records/{type} — filter by type (A, CNAME, MX, TXT)
• GET /v1/domains/{domain}/records/{type}/{name} — specific record
• PUT /v1/domains/{domain}/records — replace all records
• PATCH /v1/domains/{domain}/records — add records
• PUT /v1/domains/{domain}/records/{type}/{name} — update specific record
• DELETE /v1/domains/{domain}/records/{type}/{name} — delete specific record

Domain Transfers

• POST /v1/domains/{domain}/transfer — initiate inbound transfer
• GET /v1/domains/{domain}/transfer — check transfer status

Agreements & Legal

• GET /v1/domains/agreements?tlds=com&privacy=true — required agreements before purchase

Decision Rules

• If checking availability → GET /v1/domains/available first
• If purchasing → fetch agreements with GET /v1/domains/agreements, then POST /v1/domains/purchase
• If updating DNS → use PUT /v1/domains/{domain}/records/{type}/{name} for specific records, not PUT /v1/domains/{domain}/records (replaces ALL records)
• If adding a record without affecting others → use PATCH, not PUT
• If verifying domain ownership (e.g., for SSL/email) → add TXT record via PATCH

Do

• Check domain availability before attempting purchase
• Use PATCH to add DNS records (preserves existing records)
• Verify DNS changes with a GET after updating
• Use the OTE environment (api.ote-godaddy.com) for testing

Don't

• Use PUT /v1/domains/{domain}/records without confirmation (replaces ALL DNS records — can take down a live site)
• Delete or cancel domains without user confirmation (irreversible)
• Purchase domains without fetching and presenting legal agreements first (required by GoDaddy)
• Hardcode API keys in requests (use env vars GODADDY_API_KEY and GODADDY_API_SECRET)