The invention discloses a root server address update method and a recursive server. The method and the recursive server are applied to the technical field of a computer and are used for improving the root server address update efficiency and reducing the error rate. The method comprises following steps of taking root server domain name and address lists stored at a current moment as an initial file; setting a root server address update triggering event; selecting a target server from the initial file if the update triggering event occurs, wherein the target server is any one root server of which root server domain list is not tampered; obtaining A records and AAAA records of each root server with respect to each root server in the root server domain list of the target server; and updating the initial file according to the obtained A records and AAAA records of each root server.