Overview

The GoDaddy DNS integration connects the Praetorian Guard Platform (PGP) with GoDaddy's managed DNS service to discover DNS zones and records across your domains. By importing DNS data, PGP identifies all hostnames, subdomains, and related infrastructure that form part of your external attack surface.

DNS records are one of the most fundamental sources of attack surface intelligence. Every A, AAAA, CNAME, and MX record points to infrastructure that may be externally accessible and therefore needs to be monitored for vulnerabilities. This integration automates the discovery of these records from GoDaddy, ensuring that your PGP asset inventory stays current as DNS configurations change.

The integration operates in a read-only capacity, querying the GoDaddy API to retrieve zone and record data. PGP does not modify, create, or delete any DNS zones, records, or domain configurations.

What the Integration Does

The GoDaddy DNS integration authenticates with the GoDaddy API and enumerates all DNS zones (domains) associated with your account. For each zone, it retrieves the full set of DNS records and imports the resulting hostnames and IP addresses as seeds and assets into PGP.

Discovered records feed into PGP's broader attack surface discovery pipeline. Domain names from CNAME and MX records become seeds that trigger further enumeration, while A and AAAA records provide direct IP address assets. This creates a cascading discovery effect where a single DNS zone can reveal dozens of previously unknown assets.

All operations are strictly read-only. PGP does not create, update, or delete any DNS records or zone configurations in your GoDaddy account.

Prerequisites

Before setting up the GoDaddy DNS integration, ensure you have:

  • A GoDaddy account with at least one domain and DNS zone configured
  • A GoDaddy API key and secret with production access
  • Creating API Credentials

  • Sign in to the [GoDaddy Developer Portal](https://developer.godaddy.com/).
  • Navigate to API Keys.
  • Click Create New API Key.
  • Set the environment to Production (not OTE/Testing).
  • Copy both the Key and Secret. The secret is only shown once at creation time.
  • Note: GoDaddy API keys provide read-only access to DNS data by default. No additional permission scoping is needed for this integration.
  • Setup

  • In PGP, navigate to the Integrations page.
  • Select GoDaddy DNS from the list of available integrations.
  • Enter your GoDaddy API key and secret.
  • Save the integration. PGP will validate connectivity by making a test request to the GoDaddy API.
  • Field Reference

    FieldDescriptionRequired
    API KeyYour GoDaddy production API keyYes
    API SecretYour GoDaddy production API secretYes

    What Data Is Synced

    DNS Zones (Domains)

    The integration discovers all DNS zones managed in your GoDaddy account.

    Data FieldSourceDescription
    Domain NameGoDaddy zone listThe root domain name for each DNS zone
    Zone StatusGoDaddy zone metadataWhether the zone is active and serving DNS

    DNS Records (Seeds and Assets)

    For each zone, individual DNS records are retrieved and processed.

    Record TypeImported AsDescription
    AAsset (IP address) + Seed (hostname)Maps a hostname to an IPv4 address
    AAAAAsset (IP address) + Seed (hostname)Maps a hostname to an IPv6 address
    CNAMESeed (target hostname)Alias pointing to another hostname, triggers further discovery
    MXSeed (mail server hostname)Mail exchange records revealing mail infrastructure
    NSSeed (nameserver hostname)Nameserver records identifying DNS infrastructure
    TXTMetadataText records that may contain SPF, DKIM, or other security-relevant data
    SRVSeed (target hostname)Service records identifying service endpoints

    Discovery Pipeline

    Imported DNS data feeds into PGP's attack surface discovery pipeline:

  • Root domains are added as seeds for subdomain enumeration.
  • A/AAAA records create direct IP address assets for vulnerability scanning.
  • CNAME targets become seeds that trigger recursive DNS resolution.
  • MX records reveal mail infrastructure for further analysis.
  • API Endpoints Used

    EndpointMethodPurpose
    https://api.godaddy.com/v1/domainsGETList all domains in the account
    https://api.godaddy.com/v1/domains/{domain}/recordsGETRetrieve all DNS records for a specific domain

    Authentication is performed via the Authorization header using the format sso-key {API_KEY}:{API_SECRET}, included with every API request.

    Troubleshooting

    IssueCauseFix
    Authentication failure (401)The API key or secret is invalidVerify your API key and secret in the GoDaddy Developer Portal. Ensure you are using production credentials, not OTE/testing
    Authentication failure (403)The API key lacks production accessGenerate a new API key with the environment set to Production
    No domains foundThe GoDaddy account has no domains, or the API key is associated with a different accountVerify that domains are present in your GoDaddy account and that the API key belongs to the correct account
    Partial records importedSome DNS zones returned errors during record retrievalCheck that all domains in your GoDaddy account have active DNS zones. Domains using external nameservers may not return records via the GoDaddy API
    Rate limiting errors (429)Too many API requests in a short periodThe integration will retry automatically. If persistent, contact support or reduce the number of domains in a single sync cycle

    Security and Data Handling

    The GoDaddy DNS integration operates in a strictly read-only mode. It queries the GoDaddy API to retrieve DNS zone and record data and does not modify, create, or delete any DNS records, zones, or domain configurations.

    Credentials are handled securely within PGP. The GoDaddy API key and secret are encrypted at rest and transmitted only over HTTPS to the GoDaddy API. Credentials are used exclusively during sync operations for data retrieval.

    PGP imports only DNS metadata: domain names, record types, record values (hostnames and IP addresses), and TTL values. No domain registration details, billing information, or account management data is accessed or stored.