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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →To point a domain at a server, edit the domain’s authoritative DNS zone and create an A record for an IPv4 address or an AAAA record for an IPv6 address. Most sites use an apex record for example.com and a www CNAME that targets the apex. DNS only directs traffic; your server, firewall, web-server configuration and TLS certificate must still be ready to answer requests.
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What “pointing a domain” actually changes
When someone enters a domain name, a DNS resolver looks up records for that name and returns an address. The browser then connects to the returned server. Changing DNS does not move files, create a website, open a firewall port or install HTTPS. It changes the public answer to the question “Which address should handle this hostname?”
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The records that matter for an IP address are:
| Record | Maps | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| A | A hostname to an IPv4 address, such as 203.0.113.10 |
Your server has a public IPv4 address |
| AAAA | A hostname to an IPv6 address | Your server has a public IPv6 address and is configured to accept IPv6 traffic |
| CNAME | A hostname to another hostname, never directly to an IP address | You want www (or another subdomain) to follow the apex or a provider hostname |
For a typical IPv4 site, the apex record looks like this:
| Name or host | Type | Value | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|
@, blank, root, or the full domain |
A | 203.0.113.10 |
Provider default, or a deliberately short value during a migration |
The address above is an example from the documentation address range. Replace it with the public address supplied by your hosting provider. Do not use a private LAN address such as 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x or 172.16.x.x–172.31.x.x for a public website unless the domain is intentionally restricted to an internal network.
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Find the authoritative DNS service first
The company that sold the domain is not necessarily the company that hosts its DNS. Nameserver (NS) delegation identifies the authoritative service: the nameservers listed for the domain store and publish the A, AAAA, CNAME, MX and other records. Editing a different dashboard has no effect on the public result.
Check delegation in the registrar account
- Open the domain’s management page at the registrar.
- Find Nameservers, DNS servers or Delegation.
- Note the nameserver hostnames currently assigned to the domain.
- Sign in to the DNS provider represented by those nameservers and open the zone for the domain.
Some registrars provide an integrated DNS editor when their own nameservers are active. Others show only registration settings and direct you to an external DNS host. Treat the nameserver list as the source of truth.
Confirm with an NS lookup
From a terminal, query the domain’s NS records with a tool such as dig NS example.com or nslookup -type=NS example.com. The returned nameservers should match the service where you intend to make the change. If they do not, either edit the currently authoritative zone or deliberately update the delegation first; changing both at once makes troubleshooting harder.
Prepare the server before changing DNS
Record the exact public address and decide which hostname will be canonical. A provider may give you one IPv4 address, one IPv6 address, or both. Verify that the address is assigned to the running server and that the server is reachable from the Internet.
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- Install and start the web server or application that should answer the domain.
- Allow inbound TCP traffic on port 80 for HTTP and port 443 for HTTPS, subject to your hosting provider’s firewall and your operating system firewall.
- Configure a virtual host, server block or equivalent for the apex name and
wwwif both will be used. - Choose whether requests should redirect from the apex to
www, or fromwwwto the apex. Use one canonical destination rather than serving two independent versions. - Obtain a TLS certificate that covers every hostname visitors will use. A certificate for only the apex does not automatically cover
www.
DNS can be changed while the server is being prepared, but visitors may reach the new address as soon as caches expire. Having the web server ready first avoids an interval of connection errors or a default hosting page.
Point the apex domain to an IPv4 server
The following procedure applies to most DNS control panels. Labels differ, but the record fields have the same meaning.
- Open the authoritative DNS zone for your domain.
- Choose Add record or Create record.
- Select A as the type.
- Enter
@, the bare domain, blank, or the panel’s equivalent for the host/name field. Do not enterwwwhere unless you are intentionally creating a separatewwwA record. - Enter the server’s public IPv4 address in the value field. Use dotted-decimal notation, for example
203.0.113.10; do not includehttp://, a port number or a path. - Leave TTL at the provider default unless you have a migration reason to choose a shorter value. Save the record.
- Remove or edit an old apex A record if it points to a different service. Multiple A records are valid only when you intentionally want multiple addresses and have planned for round-robin behavior.
Some DNS interfaces automatically append the domain name to a relative host. If you type the full domain into a field that expects only a label, the panel may create a duplicated name such as example.com.example.com. Follow the field’s placeholder and preview before saving.
Add www without creating a broken record
A common arrangement is an apex A record plus a www CNAME:
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| Name | Type | Target | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
@ |
A | 203.0.113.10 |
example.com resolves to the IPv4 address |
www |
CNAME | example.com. or the panel’s apex selector |
www.example.com follows the apex record |
- Create a new record with type CNAME.
- Set the name/host to
www. - Set the target or canonical name to the apex domain. A trailing dot is accepted by some providers; others add it automatically.
- Save it and remove any existing
wwwA, AAAA or conflicting CNAME record. - Configure the web server and certificate for both names, then redirect the non-canonical hostname to the canonical one.
A CNAME contains a hostname, not an IP address. Entering an address in a CNAME field is invalid. Conversely, use an A or AAAA record when the platform specifically requires www to contain an address rather than an alias. A hostname cannot have a CNAME alongside other records of the same name, although the apex can have the records required by your DNS provider’s special features.
Use AAAA for IPv6—and understand dual-stack behavior
An IPv6 address requires an AAAA record. If your server deliberately accepts both protocols, publish an A record for IPv4 and an AAAA record for IPv6 at the same hostname. Resolvers may return both, and clients choose a reachable path. Do not publish an AAAA record merely because your hosting panel displays an IPv6 address: the server, firewall, routing and web-server listener must all be configured for IPv6.
Check that an IPv6 address is globally routable, not a link-local or private address. Test from an external network before relying on it. If IPv6 is misconfigured, some visitors may experience slow fallback or connection failures even though IPv4 works; remove the AAAA record until IPv6 is correctly supported.
Prevent conflicts and accidental outages
- Old A or AAAA records: An obsolete address can send users to the previous server. Update or delete it after confirming that no service still depends on it.
- Duplicate records: Several addresses cause resolvers to distribute answers. Keep them only when every address serves the same site and you accept that distribution.
- CNAME at the same name: A name with a CNAME cannot also have its own A, AAAA, MX or similar records under standard DNS rules.
- Proxy mode: Some DNS providers offer a traffic proxy in front of an A or AAAA record. The public lookup may return proxy addresses rather than your server. This can affect TLS mode, client IP logging, firewall rules and troubleshooting.
- Mail records: Do not delete MX, SPF, DKIM or DMARC records while changing website DNS. Website records and mail records share the same zone.
- Nameserver changes: Replacing nameservers moves the entire zone. Recreate all required records, especially mail and verification records, before changing delegation.
TTL, caching and why the old site can persist
TTL is the cache lifetime attached to a DNS record. Cloudflare’s DNS documentation describes it as the field that controls how long each record is cached and, consequently, how long updates take to reach end users. Its documented default for proxied records is 300 seconds (five minutes), but that figure is provider-specific, not a universal propagation guarantee.
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Resolvers may have cached the previous answer for the old record’s full TTL. Browsers, operating systems, home routers and corporate DNS services can add their own caching behavior. A correct change may therefore appear at one location while another still returns the old address.
During a planned migration, lower the TTL before changing the address, wait for the previous longer TTL to age out, make the switch, then raise the TTL after the results are stable. Lowering TTL after the change cannot erase answers that were cached under the earlier value.
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Verification should distinguish DNS problems from server problems.
- Query the authoritative nameserver directly, for example
dig @ns1.example-dns.com example.com A +short, replacing the nameserver with one actually delegated to your domain. This checks whether the zone contains the intended value. - Query a public recursive resolver, such as
dig @1.1.1.1 example.com A +shortordig @8.8.8.8 example.com A +short. Different resolvers may update at different times. - Check IPv6 separately with
dig example.com AAAA +short. - Check
wwwwithdig www.example.com CNAME +short, then query its A/AAAA result if the provider synthesizes or follows the alias. - Repeat from a second network or use a reputable multi-location DNS lookup service. Compare answers rather than relying on one computer’s cache.
- Open the apex and
wwwin a private browser window. Confirm the address bar, redirect destination, page content and certificate name.
If a local machine shows an old answer after public resolvers have updated, flush its DNS cache or temporarily test with another network. Do not repeatedly edit the record to compensate for a local cache; each edit can extend confusion.
When DNS is correct but the site does not load
A successful A or AAAA lookup proves only that the name resolves. Work through the connection layers in order:
- Address ownership: Confirm the returned address belongs to the intended server and has not changed after a restart or provider migration.
- Routing and firewall: Check the hosting provider’s network firewall, cloud security group and operating system firewall. Permit TCP 80 and 443 as required.
- Listening services: Verify that the web server is listening on the public interface, not only on
127.0.0.1or an internal address. - Virtual-host matching: Ensure the server configuration includes the exact Host names
example.comandwww.example.com. Otherwise a default site may appear even though DNS is correct. - Redirects: Inspect HTTP-to-HTTPS and apex-to-
wwwredirects for loops, wrong ports or references to the old domain. - TLS: The certificate must include the hostname in the browser’s address bar. A DNS change does not issue or renew a certificate.
- Application behavior: Check application logs, reverse-proxy configuration, environment variables and any host-allowlist setting that rejects the new domain.
These checks also explain why changing DNS cannot repair a server that is stopped, blocked or configured for another hostname.
Choosing a DNS provider for this job
You can keep registration, DNS hosting and web hosting with one company or split them among specialists. They are separate functions: the registrar controls ownership and delegation, the authoritative DNS provider publishes records, and the web host runs the server.
| Capability | Why it matters | Questions to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Authoritative control | Determines whether your edits are the records the Internet sees | Which nameservers are delegated, and can you export the zone? |
| Apex A/AAAA support | Required to map the bare domain directly to your server | Can the apex use both IPv4 and IPv6? |
www CNAME support |
Lets the alias follow the apex or a platform hostname | Does the interface accept the target with or without a trailing dot? |
| TTL flexibility | Useful for migrations and controlled caching | What minimum and maximum TTLs are allowed? |
| DNSSEC and security controls | Helps protect DNS answers from tampering when correctly deployed | Does the provider support DNSSEC signing and key-rollover guidance? |
| API and audit features | Enables repeatable changes and a record of who changed what | Are API tokens scoped, logged and revocable? |
| Monitoring and reliability | Detects failed lookups or unexpected changes | Are health checks, notifications and secondary DNS available? |
| Traffic proxying | Can add caching or protection but changes the visible destination and connection path | Can proxying be disabled per record, and how are origin IP and TLS handled? |
Whatever arrangement you choose, document the delegated nameservers, zone records, server address, canonical hostname and certificate renewal method. That information prevents a future administrator from editing the wrong system.
Common migration patterns
Moving a site to a new IPv4 server
Lower the existing record’s TTL ahead of the move, prepare the new server and certificate, then replace the apex A value. Keep the old server available until queries and application logs show that normal traffic has shifted. Update www only if it does not already follow the apex.
Adding IPv6 to an existing IPv4 site
Confirm complete IPv6 connectivity first, then add an AAAA record while retaining the A record. Monitor both paths. If IPv6 clients fail, remove or correct the AAAA record rather than assuming all users will fall back cleanly.
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Changing DNS providers
Copy every needed record—website, mail, verification, delegated subdomains and security records—to the new provider. Verify the new zone before changing nameservers. After delegation updates and caches expire, query the new authoritative servers and confirm that mail and web services still resolve.
Quick Recap
Security and operational safeguards
- Enable multi-factor authentication on the registrar and DNS accounts.
- Use separate, least-privilege API tokens for automation; never place a full-account password in deployment scripts.
- Turn on change notifications or maintain an audit log.
- Protect the server’s origin address if a reverse proxy is intentionally in use, but understand that DNS alone does not hide an address that is published in other records or historical data.
- Keep DNSSEC signing keys and registrar DS records coordinated. An incorrect DNSSEC change can make a domain appear completely unreachable even when A and AAAA values are correct.
A concise final checklist
- Identify the authoritative nameservers.
- Confirm the server’s public IPv4 and, if applicable, IPv6 addresses.
- Create or update the apex A and/or AAAA record.
- Create
wwwas a CNAME to the apex when that fits your hosting setup. - Remove stale or conflicting records without disturbing mail records.
- Confirm firewall ports, virtual hosts, redirects and TLS coverage.
- Query authoritative and public resolvers for A, AAAA and CNAME results.
- Allow cached answers to expire and test from more than one network.
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