How do I connect my domain to my website?
Get the DNS Settings from Your Host
After you sign up for hosting, your provider will show you the DNS records you need. These are usually an A record (for the main domain) and a CNAME record (for 'www').
Write down the exact values—often an IP address like 192.0.2.1 for the A record and a hostname like yoursite.host.com for the CNAME.
Update DNS at Your Registrar
Log in to the account where you bought your domain (the registrar). Find the DNS management or nameserver settings section.
Replace the existing A and CNAME records with the ones from your host. If your host uses custom nameservers, you may need to change those instead. Save your changes.
Wait for Propagation
DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to spread across the internet. This delay is normal and is called propagation.
You can check progress using a free DNS lookup tool online. Once it's done, typing your domain should load your website.
- Log in to your registrar's DNS settings.
- Add or edit the A record to point to your host's IP address.
- Add or edit the CNAME record for 'www' to point to your host's hostname.
- Save changes and wait for propagation.
- Test your domain in a browser after a few hours.
Common mistakes
- Editing the wrong records—only change A and CNAME unless your host says otherwise.
- Forgetting to save changes or clicking away before confirming.
- Panicking when the site doesn't appear instantly; propagation can take up to two days.
