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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →To point a domain to a website or app, first add the domain in the host’s dashboard and copy the exact DNS record type, name, and destination it requires. Then add that record with the provider managing your domain’s authoritative DNS, verify the domain with the host, and test each hostname you plan to use. The right values depend on the host; there is no universal IP address or CNAME target.
What it means to point a domain
DNS records tell resolvers where a domain or subdomain can be reached. They do not register the domain, host the website, forward a browser to a different URL, or issue an HTTPS certificate. Those are separate services or configurations.
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The website or app host determines the destination values, while the authoritative DNS provider is where you publish them. An A record maps a name to an IPv4 address, an AAAA record maps it to an IPv6 address, and a CNAME maps it to another hostname. Use the exact values in the host’s current custom-domain instructions rather than copying a value from an unrelated tutorial. Cloudflare’s apex-record guide explains that providers may handle apex records differently.
Point your domain with the host’s required records
- Add the domain at your host. In the website or app dashboard, find its custom-domain setup, add the hostname you want to use, and copy the requested record type, name, and destination value. Some hosts require verification before they will serve traffic for the domain.
- Find the authoritative DNS provider. Sign in to the provider whose nameservers are authoritative for the domain. If you are unsure which provider this is, check the nameserver setting at your registrar or ask the person who manages the domain. Editing records at a registrar will not change public DNS if another provider’s nameservers are authoritative.
- Create the requested record. Enter the host-provided type, name, and value exactly. Many DNS interfaces use
@for the apex, but the notation varies; use it only if your provider’s interface defines it that way. - Configure each hostname you intend to serve. The apex, such as
example.com, andwww.example.comare distinct names. Add the appropriate record for each one, and make sure the host is configured to serve both if you want both to work. - Complete verification and test. Return to the host’s dashboard and finish its verification steps. Test the apex and each subdomain you configured, including whether each loads over HTTPS.
Changes may not appear everywhere at once because DNS caching and record TTLs vary. The host and DNS provider may also have their own verification and processing steps, so a fixed completion time cannot be assumed.
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Choose the DNS approach that fits the host and provider
There is no universally best record type. The host may require an IP address or a target hostname; the DNS provider must support the required behavior for the hostname; and you may need to decide whether DNS stays with its current provider or moves to another one. Check whether the host supports the apex, a subdomain such as www, or both.
Pointing an apex versus a subdomain
A CNAME is commonly used for a subdomain when the host supplies a target hostname. At the apex, DNS standards and provider interfaces can make a conventional CNAME unsuitable. Some providers offer ALIAS or ANAME behavior; Cloudflare documents CNAME flattening for the zone apex. Follow both the host’s instructions and the DNS provider’s documentation rather than assuming that an apex can use the same record as www.
Keeping DNS where it is versus changing nameservers
If you only need to connect a site, adding the host’s records at the current authoritative DNS provider is different from moving DNS management. A nameserver change makes the new provider authoritative. Before changing nameservers, review or import the existing zone’s records, including those used for email and service verification. Missing records can disrupt those services or make the domain unreachable. Cloudflare’s full-setup instructions describe changing authoritative nameservers as part of that provider’s setup.
Example: GitHub Pages uses specific values
GitHub Pages illustrates why host-specific instructions matter: its custom-domain guide lists four A-record addresses and four AAAA-record addresses for an apex, or an ALIAS/ANAME alternative, and a CNAME for a subdomain. Those are GitHub Pages instructions, not general-purpose destinations for other sites or apps. GitHub also warns against wildcard records because they can create domain-takeover risk. Check GitHub’s current custom-domain guide before configuring a GitHub Pages domain, and do not reuse its values for a different host.
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DNS pointing does not configure HTTPS
A DNS record directs traffic; HTTPS depends on a valid SSL/TLS certificate and the host’s configuration for the hostname. Cloudflare puts the distinction plainly: “While DNS is what communicates where your website or application can be reached, SSL/TLS is what enables websites and applications to establish connections in a secure way.” Cloudflare, “Create zone apex record,” last updated April 17, 2026. After DNS setup, follow the host’s certificate and HTTPS instructions and verify that the intended hostname loads securely.
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