Managing Dnsimple

---
name: managing-dnsimple
description: |
  Use when working with Dnsimple — dNSimple DNS and domain management covering
  domains, DNS records, zone files, certificates, contacts, and domain
  registration. Use when managing DNSimple hosted zones, configuring DNS
  records, managing SSL certificates, handling domain registrations, or
  troubleshooting DNS resolution issues.
connection_type: dnsimple
preload: false
---

# DNSimple Skill

Manage DNSimple domains, DNS records, certificates, and domain registrations.

## Core Helper Functions

```bash
#!/bin/bash

DNSIMPLE_API="https://api.dnsimple.com/v2"

dnsimple_api() {
    local endpoint="$1"
    shift
    curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $DNSIMPLE_API_TOKEN" \
         -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
         "$DNSIMPLE_API/$endpoint" "$@"
}

# Get account ID
dnsimple_account_id() {
    dnsimple_api "whoami" | jq -r '.data.account.id // .data.user.id'
}
```

## MANDATORY: Discovery-First Pattern

### Phase 1: Discovery

```bash
#!/bin/bash
ACCOUNT=$(dnsimple_account_id)

echo "=== Domains ==="
dnsimple_api "$ACCOUNT/domains?per_page=100" | jq -r '
    .data[] | "\(.id)\t\(.name)\t\(.state)\t\(.expires_on // "n/a")\t\(.auto_renew)"
' | column -t | head -20

echo ""
echo "=== Domain Registrations ==="
dnsimple_api "$ACCOUNT/registrar/domains?per_page=50" | jq -r '
    .data[]? | "\(.name)\t\(.state)\t\(.registrant_id)\t\(.expires_on[:10])"
' | column -t | head -15

echo ""
echo "=== SSL Certificates ==="
for DOMAIN in $(dnsimple_api "$ACCOUNT/domains?per_page=20" | jq -r '.data[].name'); do
    dnsimple_api "$ACCOUNT/domains/$DOMAIN/certificates" | jq -r --arg d "$DOMAIN" '
        .data[]? | "\($d)\t\(.id)\t\(.common_name)\t\(.state)\t\(.expires_on[:10] // "n/a")"
    '
done | column -t | head -15

echo ""
echo "=== Name Servers ==="
for DOMAIN in $(dnsimple_api "$ACCOUNT/domains?per_page=10" | jq -r '.data[].name'); do
    NS=$(dnsimple_api "$ACCOUNT/registrar/domains/$DOMAIN/delegation" 2>/dev/null | jq -r '.data | join(", ")')
    echo "$DOMAIN: $NS"
done | head -10
```

### Phase 2: Analysis

```bash
#!/bin/bash
ACCOUNT=$(dnsimple_account_id)
DOMAIN="${1:?Domain name required}"

echo "=== DNS Records ==="
dnsimple_api "$ACCOUNT/zones/$DOMAIN/records?per_page=500" | jq -r '
    .data[] | "\(.type)\t\(.name // "@")\t\(.content[:60])\t\(.ttl)s\t\(.priority // "")"
' | sort | column -t | head -30

echo ""
echo "=== Zone File ==="
dnsimple_api "$ACCOUNT/zones/$DOMAIN/file" | jq -r '.data.zone' | head -20

echo ""
echo "=== Domain Services ==="
dnsimple_api "$ACCOUNT/domains/$DOMAIN/services" | jq -r '
    .data[]? | "\(.name)\t\(.short_name)\t\(.description[:50])"
' | column -t | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== WHOIS Privacy ==="
dnsimple_api "$ACCOUNT/registrar/domains/$DOMAIN/whois_privacy" | jq '.data | {enabled, expires_on}'
```

## Output Rules
- **TOKEN EFFICIENCY**: Target <=50 lines per output
- Use jq to parse DNSimple API JSON responses
- Sort DNS records by type for readability

## Safety Rules
- **Read-only by default**: Use GET endpoints for inspection
- **Never delete DNS records** without explicit confirmation
- **Domain transfers** are irreversible once completed
- **Auto-renew changes** can cause domain expiration if disabled accidentally

## Output Format

Present results as a structured report:
```
Managing Dnsimple Report
════════════════════════
Resources discovered: [count]

Resource       Status    Key Metric    Issues
──────────────────────────────────────────────
[name]         [ok/warn] [value]       [findings]

Summary: [total] resources | [ok] healthy | [warn] warnings | [crit] critical
Action Items: [list of prioritized findings]
```

Target ≤50 lines of output. Use tables for multi-resource comparisons.

## Anti-Hallucination Rules

1. **NEVER assume resource names** — always discover via CLI/API in Phase 1 before referencing in Phase 2.
2. **NEVER fabricate metric names or dimensions** — verify against the service documentation or `--help` output.
3. **NEVER mix CLI commands between service versions** — confirm which version/API you are targeting.
4. **ALWAYS use the discovery → verify → analyze chain** — every resource referenced must have been discovered first.
5. **ALWAYS handle empty results gracefully** — an empty response is valid data, not an error to retry.

## Counter-Rationalizations

| Shortcut | Counter | Why |
|----------|---------|-----|
| "I'll skip discovery and check known resources" | Always run Phase 1 discovery first | Resource names change, new resources appear — assumed names cause errors |
| "The user only asked for a quick check" | Follow the full discovery → analysis flow | Quick checks miss critical issues; structured analysis catches silent failures |
| "Default configuration is probably fine" | Audit configuration explicitly | Defaults often leave logging, security, and optimization features disabled |
| "Metrics aren't needed for this" | Always check relevant metrics when available | API/CLI responses show current state; metrics reveal trends and intermittent issues |
| "I don't have access to that" | Try the command and report the actual error | Assumed permission failures prevent useful investigation; actual errors are informative |

## Common Pitfalls
- **Account ID required**: All API calls require the account ID in the path
- **Zone vs domain**: Zones hold DNS records; domains are registrations -- they can exist independently
- **Pagination**: Default page size is 30; use per_page=100 for larger zones
- **One-click services**: Adding services creates DNS records automatically; removing deletes them
- **DNSSEC**: Must be enabled via the API; not automatic for all TLDs