I'm a network engineer who occasionally deals with DNS tasks. My company has started using a SaaS solution named *Superblocks*, and I was asked if we could create a DNS record for `app.domain.com` that redirects to `app.superblocks.com/GUID`. I explained that DNS doesn't handle path-based routing, suggesting instead that we could set up an IIS server to perform an HTTP 302 redirect based on URL paths. This feels overly complicated, though. We use Microsoft DNS on our domain controllers, and it got me wondering: have there been any real advancements in DNS functionality since 2026 that would enable this kind of setup, or is my understanding still on point? I also suggested reaching out to Superblocks, as it can't be just us facing this issue. Has DNS fundamentally changed, or is it still the same?
5 Answers
What you’re looking for is a reverse proxy setup. While IIS can do this, using something like Nginx or Apache would likely be easier. With a few lines of code using tools like Puppet or Ansible, you can deploy a reverse proxy that can scale easily, managing many entries without a fuss.
In short, DNS is still functioning as it always has. Other than enhancements like DNSSEC and a few new record types, nothing has genuinely changed in the last couple of decades. DNS doesn’t translate to HTTP paths, and I think the person who asked you that question might need some clarity on how each technology works.
You're spot on—using an HTTP redirect is the way to go. If you try to get DNS to handle path specifics, you'll likely run into issues with certificate errors as well.
I humorously say DNS is for lazy folks since I have my users memorize IP addresses!
You're absolutely right; DNS strictly only deals with the domain name up to the slash or colon. So the HTTP redirect solution or reverse proxy is your best bet. DNS advancements mainly focus on security, since the basic DNS structure hasn't changed much from its original design.
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