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Getting Started with ZoneFeeds

This guide helps new users get started with the ZoneFeeds platform, from account creation to performing searches and understanding API results.

Visit Zonefeeds at: https://zonefeeds.com/

Step 1: Account Registration

To begin using ZoneFeeds, create a new account via the registration page:

Registration Requirements

The user must provide:

  • A unique and available username of their choice
  • A valid email address
  • A password that:
  • Is at least 8 characters long
  • Contains at least one uppercase letter
  • Contains at least one lowercase letter
  • Contains at least one number
  • Password confirmation matching the original password

After entering the required information, click Create Account.

Registration

Step 2: Account Approval and Notifications

After successful registration submission:

  • A message is displayed on screen indicating that the account will be created once approved by an administrator
  • The user will receive:
  • An email confirming registration submission
  • A separate email containing the API key after approval

Registration

Step 3: Sign In

Once the account is approved, the user can sign in using the same username and password used during registration.

Signin

After signing in, users can begin querying domain data.

Landing Page

Search Options

Users can:

  • Select a TLD from the available list or manually type one
  • Enter domain names or keywords in the search field
  • Specify the number of records to return

TLD

Step 5: Date Range Filtering

Users may optionally apply a date filter to narrow results.

Date Constraints

  • The maximum allowed date range is 10 days
  • If the selected range exceeds 10 days, an out of range error is displayed

Daterange

Step 6: Wildcard Searches

ZoneFeeds supports wildcard searches using the * character.

Wildcards can be used in:

  • The TLD field
  • The domain search field
  • Both fields simultaneously

Examples

  • * as a TLD searches across all supported TLDs
  • *google* matches all domains containing the term
  • * in both fields returns all available records

Wildcard Wildcard Wildcard

Step 7: Searching Internationalized Domains (IDNs)

Internationalized domains and TLDs must be queried using their Punycode representation.

How to Search IDNs

  1. Convert the Unicode domain or TLD into Punycode using any trusted IDN converter
  2. Enter the resulting Punycode value into the TLD or domain field
  3. Submit the search

ZoneFeeds automatically decodes and analyzes the Unicode representation internally.

Punycode Punycode

Step 8: Understanding the API Response

Search results are displayed in structured JSON format and can be:

  • Viewed directly in the UI
  • Copied
  • Downloaded using the download icon in the top right corner

⚠️ Important: UI vs API Download Behavior

When using the UI, downloaded data is limited to the currently loaded results only.
If additional pages of data exist, users must manually load all paginated results by clicking load more before downloading to obtain the complete dataset.

In contrast, direct API access does not have this limitation.

  • The API allows you to retrieve all matching records in a single request
  • No need to manually load or scroll through pagination
  • Recommended for large datasets, automation, and bulk analysis

💡 Best Practice:
Use the UI for exploration and quick inspection.
Use the API for complete data extraction and production workflows.

API Response Fields

Field Description
domain Fully qualified domain name
status Current state of the domain
data Associated DNS record data
timestamp Time the record was observed
pit Point In Time identifier used for pagination
next_cursor Cursor used to retrieve the next page of results

API-response

Step 9: Pagination Using PIT and Cursor

ZoneFeeds uses cursor based pagination for performance and consistency.

Pagination Fields

Field Description
pit Elasticsearch Point In Time identifier
after Base64 encoded cursor value for next page

How Pagination Works

  • The first request returns a pit.
  • If more results exist, a next_cursor is also returned.
  • To fetch the next page:
  • Pass both pit and after in the next request
  • Include all original query parameters used in the initial request (e.g., start, end, search, limit). Failing to do so may result in incorrect or inconsistent page results.
  • The PIT remains valid for 2 minutes.
  • If the PIT expires, a new initial request is required.

Summary

With ZoneFeeds, users can:

  • Register and securely access the platform
  • Search domain data across multiple TLDs
  • Use wildcards for broad discovery
  • Analyze internationalized domains using Punycode
  • Filter results by date and record limits
  • Download structured results
  • Paginate efficiently using PIT-based cursors