{"id":535,"date":"2026-10-26T03:48:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T03:48:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/learn\/guides\/point-your-domain-to-your-website\/"},"modified":"2026-10-26T03:48:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T03:48:13","slug":"point-your-domain-to-your-website","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/fr\/learn\/guides\/point-your-domain-to-your-website\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Point Your Domain to Your Website (DNS Records Explained)"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"sfl-hero sfl-hero-s\"><div class=\"sfl-w\"><div class=\"sfl-bc\"><a href=\"\/learn\/\">Learn<\/a> \/ <a href=\"\/learn\/guides\/\">How-To Guides<\/a><\/div><h1>How to Point Your Domain to Your Website (DNS <em>Records Explained)<\/em><\/h1><div class=\"sfl-lead\"><p>Buying a domain and having a website are two separate things. To make them work together, you tell the internet where your website lives using DNS, the system that turns names into server addresses. In this guide you will connect your domain to your hosting so visitors who type your name land on your site.<\/p><p>Doing this carefully matters because DNS also controls your email. One wrong change can stop messages from arriving. You will learn the two main methods, when to use each one, and how to check your work so nothing breaks along the way.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"sfl-meta\"><span>\u23f1 15 minutes, plus up to 48 hours for changes to spread<\/span><span>\u25ce Beginner<\/span><span>\u2630 8 steps<\/span><span>\u21bb Updated Oct 2026<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/section><div class=\"sfl-w sfl-art sfl-art3\"><nav class=\"sfl-toc\" aria-label=\"On this page\"><b>On this page<\/b><a href=\"#need\">What you need<\/a><a href=\"#steps\">Steps<\/a><a href=\"#mistakes\">Common mistakes<\/a><a href=\"#faq\">FAQ<\/a><\/nav><article class=\"sfl-prose\"><div class=\"sfl-box sfl-need\" id=\"need\"><h4>What you need<\/h4><ul><li>Login for your domain registrar<\/li><li>Login for your web hosting or cPanel account<\/li><li>Your host&#8217;s nameservers or your server&#8217;s IP address<\/li><li>A screenshot of your current DNS records<\/li><\/ul><\/div><h2 id=\"steps\">Steps<\/h2><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>1<\/b><div><h3>Find your hosting details<\/h3><p>Your web host gives you one of two things to point your domain at. The first is a pair of nameservers, which look like ns1.examplehost.com and ns2.examplehost.com. The second is an IP address, a set of numbers like 203.0.113.10. In cPanel, the server IP address appears in the General Information or Server Information panel on the home screen. Your welcome email from the host usually lists both.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>2<\/b><div><h3>Save a copy of your current records<\/h3><p>Log in to your registrar and open the DNS or nameserver settings for your domain. Take a screenshot or copy every record you see, especially any MX and TXT records. Those control your email and domain verification. If something goes wrong later, this copy lets you put things back exactly as they were.<\/p><div class=\"sfl-tip\"><b>Tip:<\/b> If you already use business email, note which company runs it before you change anything.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>3<\/b><div><h3>Choose nameservers or records<\/h3><p>Changing nameservers hands all DNS control to your host, which is simple and works well if your host also runs your email. Changing individual records keeps DNS at your registrar and only updates where the website points. Choose the records method if your email is with another provider, such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, and you want to leave it untouched.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>4<\/b><div><h3>Option A: update the nameservers<\/h3><p>In your registrar&#8217;s domain settings, find the nameservers section and choose custom nameservers. Delete the old entries and type in the nameservers your host gave you, exactly as written. Save the change. If your email runs somewhere other than your host, you will need to add its MX and TXT records again in cPanel under Domains, then Zone Editor, because your old records stay behind at the registrar.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>5<\/b><div><h3>Option B: edit the A and CNAME records<\/h3><p>In your registrar&#8217;s DNS settings, find the A record for your root domain, often shown as the @ symbol. Change its value to your server&#8217;s IP address. Then find the record for www. Set it as a CNAME pointing to your root domain, or as a second A record with the same IP. Remove any other A records for @ that point somewhere else, since conflicting records cause random errors.<\/p><div class=\"sfl-tip\"><b>Tip:<\/b> If your DNS is managed in cPanel, open Domains, then Zone Editor, click Manage next to your domain and edit the records there.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>6<\/b><div><h3>Leave email records alone<\/h3><p>Do not delete or change MX records unless you are moving your email on purpose. MX records tell the world where to deliver your mail. TXT records often hold SPF, DKIM and DMARC settings plus verification codes for services like Google. Changing the A record for your website does not affect email, so leave everything else as it was.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>7<\/b><div><h3>Wait for the change to spread<\/h3><p>DNS changes are not instant. Each record has a TTL, or time to live, that tells other servers how long to remember the old answer. Record edits often take effect within an hour. Nameserver changes can take up to 48 hours to reach everyone. During this time some visitors may see the old site and some the new one, which is normal.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>8<\/b><div><h3>Check that it worked<\/h3><p>Open your domain in a private browser window, both with and without www, to avoid seeing an old cached copy. You can also use a free online DNS lookup tool to see what IP address your domain returns from different locations. Once the new address shows everywhere, send yourself a test email to confirm mail still arrives. Then set up your SSL certificate so the site loads securely.<\/p><div class=\"sfl-tip\"><b>Tip:<\/b> Free SSL from your host usually cannot be issued until the domain points to the server, so do this step first.<\/div><\/div><\/div><h2 id=\"mistakes\">Common Mistakes<\/h2><ul class=\"sfl-mk\"><li>Switching nameservers without re-creating the MX records for an outside email provider, which stops email from arriving.<\/li><li>Leaving an old A record in place alongside the new one, so visitors bounce between the old and new sites.<\/li><li>Changing DNS and then making more edits every few minutes because nothing seems to happen, instead of waiting for the TTL to pass.<\/li><\/ul><h2 id=\"faq\">FAQ<\/h2><details class=\"sfl-faq\" open><summary>What is the difference between nameservers and DNS records?<\/summary><p>Nameservers decide which company answers questions about your domain. DNS records are the actual answers, such as where your website lives and where email goes. Changing nameservers moves the whole address book to a new company. Editing records changes individual entries while the address book stays where it is.<\/p><\/details><details class=\"sfl-faq\"><summary>Why does my site work on my phone but not my computer?<\/summary><p>Your computer or home network may still remember the old address. This is normal while a DNS change spreads. Try a private browser window, restart your browser, or wait a few hours. If the problem lasts more than two days, check that the records were saved correctly at your registrar or host.<\/p><\/details><details class=\"sfl-faq\"><summary>Should www and non-www both work?<\/summary><p>Yes. Many people type www and many do not, so both should reach your site. Set one as your main version and redirect the other to it. Most website platforms, including WordPress, handle that redirect once both versions point to the same server.<\/p><\/details><\/article><aside class=\"sfl-aside\"><div class=\"sfl-box sfl-box-o\"><h4>Need this done right?<\/h4><p>Fixed-price websites from $800, built and launched for you in as little as 5 days.<\/p><a class=\"sfl-btn sfl-btn-w\" href=\"\/web-design-development\/#pricing\">See website packages<\/a><\/div><div class=\"sfl-box\"><h4>Terms in this guide<\/h4><div class=\"sfl-rel\"><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/dns\/\">DNS<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/nameserver\/\">Nameserver<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/dns-record\/\">DNS record<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/a-record\/\">A record<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/cname-record\/\">CNAME record<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/mx-record\/\">MX record<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/ttl\/\">TTL<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/dns-propagation\/\">DNS propagation<\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-box\"><h4>More guides<\/h4><div class=\"sfl-rel sfl-col\"><a href=\"\/learn\/guides\/choose-and-register-a-domain-name\/\">How to Choose and Register a Domain Name for Your Business<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/guides\/set-up-business-email-on-your-domain\/\">How to Set Up Business Email on Your Own Domain<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/guides\/set-up-spf-dkim-dmarc\/\">How to Set Up SPF, DKIM and DMARC So Your Emails Don&#8217;t Land in Spam<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/guides\/install-ssl-and-force-https\/\">How to Install an SSL Certificate and Force HTTPS<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/aside><\/div><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the difference between nameservers and DNS records?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Nameservers decide which company answers questions about your domain. 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