---
name: "named-checkconf"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "bind"
version: "9.20.30-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/named-checkconf"
---

# named-checkconf(1)

named configuration file syntax checking tool

## NAME

named-checkconf - named configuration file syntax checking tool

## SYNOPSIS

**named-checkconf** \[**-achjklvz**\] \[**-p** \[**-x** \]\] \[**-t** directory\] {filename}

## DESCRIPTION

**named-checkconf** checks the syntax, but not the semantics, of a **named** \<#std-iscman-named\> configuration file. The file, along with all files included by it, is parsed and checked for syntax errors. If no file is specified, **/etc/named.conf** is read by default.

Note: files that **named** \<#std-iscman-named\> reads in separate parser contexts, such as **rndc.conf** or **rndc.key**, are not automatically read by **named-checkconf**.  Configuration errors in these files may cause **named** \<#std-iscman-named\> to fail to run, even if **named-checkconf** was successful.  However, **named-checkconf** can be run on these files explicitly.

## OPTIONS

- **-a**

  Don't check the *dnssec-policy*'s DNSSEC key algorithms against those supported by the crypto provider.  This is useful when checking a *named.conf* intended to be run on another machine with possibly a different set of supported DNSSEC key algorithms.

- **-h**

  This option prints the usage summary and exits.

- **-j**

  When loading a zonefile, this option instructs **named** \<#std-iscman-named\> to read the journal if it exists.

- **-k**

  Check the *dnssec-policy*'s DNSSEC keys against the key files in the *key-directory*.  This is useful when checking a *named.conf* to ensure a DNSSEC policy matches the existing keys.

- **-l**

  This option lists all the configured zones. Each line of output contains the zone name, class (e.g. IN), view, and type (e.g. primary or secondary).

- **-c**

  This option specifies that only the "core" configuration should be checked. This suppresses the loading of plugin modules, and causes all parameters to **plugin** statements to be ignored.

- **-i**

  This option ignores warnings on deprecated options.

- **-p**

  This option prints out the **named.conf** \<#std-iscman-named.conf\> and included files in canonical form if no errors were detected. See also the **-x** option.

- **-t directory**

  This option instructs **named** \<#std-iscman-named\> to chroot to **directory**, so that **include** directives in the configuration file are processed as if run by a similarly chrooted **named** \<#std-iscman-named\>.

- **-v**

  This option prints the version of the **named-checkconf** program and exits.

- **-x**

  When printing the configuration files in canonical form, this option obscures shared secrets by replacing them with strings of question marks (**?**). This allows the contents of **named.conf** \<#std-iscman-named.conf\> and related files to be shared - for example, when submitting bug reports - without compromising private data. This option cannot be used without **-p**.

- **-z**

  This option performs a test load of all zones of type **primary** found in **named.conf** \<#std-iscman-named.conf\>.

- **filename**

  This indicates the name of the configuration file to be checked. If not specified, it defaults to **/etc/named.conf**.

## RETURN VALUES

**named-checkconf** returns an exit status of 1 if errors were detected and 0 otherwise.

## SEE ALSO

**[named(8)](/named/8.md)** \<#std-iscman-named\>, **[named-checkzone(8)](/named-checkzone/8.md)** \<#std-iscman-named-checkzone\>, BIND 9 Administrator Reference Manual.

## Author

Internet Systems Consortium

## Copyright

2026, Internet Systems Consortium