A domainDomainYour site's name on the internet, such as horanos.com. You register it for a year or more and renew it to keep it. is a name, hosting is a place. Connecting them means telling the internet: “when someone types this name, go to this server”. That happens in the domain's DNSDNSThe internet's directory: it turns a domain name into a server address, so browsers find your site and mail finds your mailbox. settings, not in the hosting itself.
Way one: change the name servers
Name serversName serversThe servers that hold your domain's DNS records. Changing them moves the domain's management elsewhere and can take a while to spread. answer every question about your domain: where the site is, where the mail goes. When you set your hosting company's name servers, it manages all of that for you.
- 01Find the two name servers in the hosting welcome e-mail or the control panel. They usually look like ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com.
- 02Open the domain settings where the domain was registered and look for “Name Servers”.
- 03Remove the old values, enter the new ones and save.
Way two: an A record
To keep your name servers as they are, add an A recordA recordA DNS record that points the domain to the IP address of the server that hosts the site. pointing to the server's IP address. You usually need two: one for the domain itself (@) and one for www, or a CNAME for www pointing to the domain.
- Type A, name @, value: the server's IP address.
- Type CNAME, name www, value: your domain name.
This suits anyone who runs DNS in one place and splits services: the website here, the mail there.
How long does the change take?
Servers around the world keep old answers for as long as each record allows (its TTLTTLHow long devices keep a DNS record before asking again. This is why a DNS change takes a while to show.). So some people see the change within minutes, others after hours. A name server change can take up to two days at worst.
How do I check it worked?
- Check the domain with the free “Domain and mail check” tool: it shows the current name servers, the IP address the domain points to and the mail records.
- If the new servers show but the old site still opens for you, clear the browser cache or try from your phone's network.
- Once the site works, check its SSL certificateSSL certificateA certificate that encrypts the connection between visitors and your site, so the browser shows the padlock and the address starts with https.: many hosts issue it automatically after the domain points to them.
Common mistakes
- Entering only one name server: at least two are required.
- Forgetting the www record: example.com works, www.example.com does not.
- Changing name servers without moving the mail records: e-mail stops without warning.
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