DNS Zone for Azure APIM in Internal VNet mode with default (Azure provided) Domain

@Taranjeet Malik I understand You're planning to deploy an Azure API Management (APIM) instance in internal VNet mode, front-ended by a third-party proxy solution, and you're unsure whether to use the azure-api.net or privatelink.azure-api.net private DNS zone

when deploying APIM in internal VNet mode, you should:

Create a private DNS zone namedazure-api.net

Register all APIM endpoints (gateway, portal, management, developer, SCM, regional) within this zone

Link the DNS zone to your VNet to enable automatic resolution of these hostnames

This setup ensures that your APIM instance can be accessed internally using its default Azure-provided FQDN (e.g., apim01.azure-api.net) and that DNS resolution works seamlessly across your network.

The privatelink.azure-api.net DNS zone is typically used when APIM is integrated with Azure Private Link, which is a different configuration from internal VNet mode. In your case, since you're not using Private Link and are instead relying on a third-party proxy, this DNS zone is not applicable.

Create Private DNS Zone:azure-api.net

Register Endpoints:

<your-apim-instance>.azure-api.net

<your-apim-instance>.portal.azure-api.net

<your-apim-instance>.management.azure-api.net

<your-apim-instance>.developer.azure-api.net

<your-apim-instance>.scm.azure-api.net

Link DNS Zone to VNet

Ensure your third-party proxy can resolve these internal FQDN

I hope this helps in resolving the issue, do let me know if you have any further questions on this

Hi @Harish Badijana

Thanks for your response. Can you please point me to the MS articles on deploying the APIM in internal VNet mode with (and without) Private Endpoint, just so I understand the difference between these configurations?

Thanks

Taranjeet Singh

@Taranjeet Malik sharing the MS articles which I referred to find the solution

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/fasttrackforazureblog/deploying-azure-api-management-in-an-internal-mode-inside-vnet/3033493

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/api-management/api-management-using-with-internal-vnet#dns-configuration

do let me know if you have any further questions other than the resposne I have provided

Thanks @Harish Badijana . I don't seem to have access to the last article you shared. Is this a Public documentation or MS internal?

If internal, can you share the public equivalent pls.?

Thanks

Taranjeet Singh