getdns is a modern asynchronous DNS API. It implements DNS entry points from a design developed and vetted by application developers, in an API specification originally edited by Paul Hoffman. With the development of this API, we intend to offer application developers a modernized and flexible way to access DNS security (DNSSEC) and other powerful new DNS features; a particular hope is to inspire application developers towards innovative security solutions in their applications. The open source C implementation of getdns is developed and maintained in collaboration by NLnet Labs, Verisign Labs and No Mountain Software. This implementation is licensed under the New BSD License.