mailcow-dockerized-docs/docs/manual-guides/Unbound/u_e-unbound-fwd.en.md

If you want or have to use an external DNS service, you can either set a forwarder in Unbound or copy an override file to define external DNS servers:

!!! warning Please do not use a public resolver like we did in the example above. Many - if not all - blacklist lookups will fail with public resolvers, because blacklist server has limits on how much requests can be done from one IP and public resolvers usually reach this limits.
Important: Only DNSSEC validating DNS services will work.

Method A, Unbound

Edit data/conf/unbound/unbound.conf and append the following parameters:

forward-zone:
  name: "."
  forward-addr: 8.8.8.8 # DO NOT USE PUBLIC DNS SERVERS - JUST AN EXAMPLE
  forward-addr: 8.8.4.4 # DO NOT USE PUBLIC DNS SERVERS - JUST AN EXAMPLE

Restart Unbound:

=== "docker compose (Plugin)"

``` bash
  docker compose restart unbound-mailcow
```

=== "docker-compose (Standalone)"

``` bash
  docker-compose restart unbound-mailcow
```

Method B, Override file

cd /opt/mailcow-dockerized
cp helper-scripts/docker-compose.override.yml.d/EXTERNAL_DNS/docker-compose.override.yml .

Edit docker-compose.override.yml and adjust the IP.

Afterwards stop and start the Docker Stack again:

=== "docker compose (Plugin)"

``` bash
  docker compose down
  docker compose up -d
```

=== "docker-compose (Standalone)"

``` bash
  docker-compose down
  docker-compose up -d
```