<p>DNS seeds are <strong>hardcoded</strong> in the code, you can see the actual DNS seed available in Bitcoin Core at <a href="https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/1b2460bd5824170ab85757e35f81197199cce9d6/src/chainparams.cpp#L112" rel="noreferrer">this</a> link.</p>
<p>The requirements are:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>run</strong> a bitcoin seeder, which is a specialized software (like <a href="https://github.com/sipa/bitcoin-seeder" rel="noreferrer">this</a>)</li>
<li><strong>meet</strong> technical requirements: the DNS seed must be reachable by IPv4 and IPv6 and must have a stable IP address. The DNS seed should have a high-availability setup and must be able to handle a high query rate, as well as unexpected high load.</li>
<li><strong>follow</strong> the <a href="https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/doc/dnsseed-policy.md" rel="noreferrer">guidelines</a></li>
<li><strong>contact</strong> the community: reach out to the Bitcoin Core development community and express your interest in becoming a DNS seed. Provide details about your setup and explain why you think you would be a good candidate.</li>
</ol>
<p>It's important to note that becoming a DNS seed is <strong>not a trivial task</strong>, and it requires a level of technical expertise, dedication, and commitment to maintain it properly. Also, being a DNS seed is a volunteer effort and the approval is given by the community.</p>
<p>Once your DNS seed is approved, it will be included in the list of DNS seeds used by the Bitcoin Core software, and it will play an important role in helping new users find and connect to the network.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-27T21:40:38.567Z
As for the first point: DNS seed operators don't run a full node but specialised software such as github.com/sipa/bitcoin-seeder. 
This software has additional functionality such as crawling through the network to check if nodes are online and responsive, and keeping a database of suitable nodes.
On the other hand, it doesn't participate in block or transaction relay and doesn't have a copy of the blockchain, so it's not a full node.
Lightlike
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-28T08:04:42.350Z
Thank you for the clarification
Paro
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-27T09:54:42.250Z
2023-01-28T08:03:43.087Z
2023-01-28T08:03:43.087Z
Paro
<p>How does the process work? Do Core devs add a DNS seed based on reputation or what?</p>

<bitcoin-core><peer-discovery><dns>
How does one become a DNS seed for Bitcoin Core?
luisschwab
# How does one become a DNS seed for Bitcoin Core?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-01-27)

How does the process work? Do Core devs add a DNS seed based on reputation or what?

**Tags:** bitcoin-core, peer-discovery, dns


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-01-27. Score: 10 | Accepted answer

DNS seeds are **hardcoded** in the code, you can see the actual DNS seed available in Bitcoin Core at [this](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/1b2460bd5824170ab85757e35f81197199cce9d6/src/chainparams.cpp#L112) link.

The requirements are:

1. **run** a bitcoin seeder, which is a specialized software (like [this](https://github.com/sipa/bitcoin-seeder))
2. **meet** technical requirements: the DNS seed must be reachable by IPv4 and IPv6 and must have a stable IP address. The DNS seed should have a high-availability setup and must be able to handle a high query rate, as well as unexpected high load.
3. **follow** the [guidelines](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/doc/dnsseed-policy.md)
4. **contact** the community: reach out to the Bitcoin Core development community and express your interest in becoming a DNS seed. Provide details about your setup and explain why you think you would be a good candidate.

It's important to note that becoming a DNS seed is **not a trivial task**, and it requires a level of technical expertise, dedication, and commitment to maintain it properly. Also, being a DNS seed is a volunteer effort and the approval is given by the community.

Once your DNS seed is approved, it will be included in the list of DNS seeds used by the Bitcoin Core software, and it will play an important role in helping new users find and connect to the network.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: As for the first point: DNS seed operators don't run a full node but specialised software such as github.com/sipa/bitcoin-seeder.  This software has additional functionality such as crawling through the network to check if nodes are online and responsive, and keeping a database of suitable nodes. On the other hand, it doesn't participate in block or transaction relay and doesn't have a copy of the blockchain, so it's not a full node.  
> **username_1**: Thank you for the clarification  

---

