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09 — Getting Involved

Part of the Domain Connect Knowledge Base

Overview

Domain Connect is an open standard with open-source reference implementations, a public template registry, and an active IETF working group. Beyond implementing the protocol, there are several ways to get involved: participate in IETF standardization, contribute to the open-source ecosystem, exchange with the community on Slack, and follow Domain Connect on social media.

Participating in IETF Standardization

The DCONN (Domain Connect) working group at the IETF is the venue for shaping the protocol's future. Participation is open to anyone; IETF membership is not required.

Ways to participate

Mailing list

The primary discussion channel is the DCONN working group mailing list. All substantive technical discussion about the specification happens here. Subscribe and participate at:

https://datatracker.ietf.org/wg/dconn/about/

Read and comment on the draft

The current specification is available at the IETF Datatracker. Submit feedback as GitHub issues on the specification repository or as IETF review comments.

Attend working group sessions

The DCONN WG meets at IETF meetings (three per year). Sessions are open and can be attended in person or remotely via meetecho. Upcoming meetings are listed on the WG page.

Submit implementation feedback

Organizations that have implemented the protocol are especially valuable participants. Implementation experience surfaces specification ambiguities, gaps in security guidance, and interoperability issues that are invisible in theoretical review.

What the working group is currently working on

As of October 2026, the working group is focused on:

  • Resolving open issues on the current drafts (-04 and the async extension)
  • Expanding and refining the security considerations section
  • Clarifying ambiguities surfaced by implementation reports
  • Progressing toward Working Group Last Call

Organizations with concerns about specific protocol aspects — security model, extended use cases like DNSSEC bootstrapping, interoperability with private/enterprise DNS — should raise them in the working group rather than treating them as blockers.

Joining the Slack Community

The Domain Connect Slack workspace is where the community talks day to day. Its members are people from DNS Providers and Service Providers who build, run and shepherd the protocol. Join to:

  • Ask questions about implementing Domain Connect or designing templates, and get answers from people who have done it
  • Share experience from your own deployment: what worked, and what the specification or tooling could do better
  • Coordinate with DNS Providers and Service Providers, for example to test an integration or onboard a template
  • Shape the protocol: many enhancements, such as new record types and variables, started as requests on Slack before they were drafted on GitHub

Join: bit.ly/join-domain-connect-slack-new (workspace: domainconnect.slack.com), then introduce yourself and ask questions in the #general channel.

Technical discussion of the IETF specification itself belongs on the DCONN mailing list (see above). Slack is the place for implementation help and informal exchange.

Community Resources

Official website: domainconnect.org
Comprehensive technical documentation, implementation guides for both DNS providers and service providers, and the template registry.

Slack: domainconnect.slack.com — join here
Questions, implementation help, and exchange with DNS Providers and Service Providers.

GitHub: github.com/domain-connect
Open-source reference implementations, the template repository, specification drafts, and the issue tracker.

IETF Datatracker: datatracker.ietf.org/wg/dconn/about/
Working group page with mailing list, current drafts, and meeting materials.

Follow and Engage

Follow Domain Connect for news on the specification, new adopters and upcoming talks — and join the conversation: share your implementation experience, ask questions, and help spread the word.

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