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To connect a domain to a server, add the DNS record your web host specifies, make sure you are editing the domain’s active DNS zone, and configure the host to accept the domain. Use an A record for an IPv4 address, an AAAA record for IPv6, or a CNAME for a hostname target when the name is not the bare domain. DNS points visitors toward a destination; it does not configure the website or create HTTPS by itself.
How domain registration, DNS, and hosting fit together
Three roles are involved, even when one company provides all of them:
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- Registrar: manages the domain registration and the name-server delegation setting.
- DNS host: operates the authoritative zone containing the records that answer queries for the domain.
- Web host or server: receives the connection and serves the site.
These services can be with different providers. The registrar’s name-server setting tells the internet which DNS host is authoritative. Amazon Web Services (AWS) explains that routing traffic to a site begins by configuring DNS routing for the domain: AWS: Configuring DNS routing for a new domain.
Which DNS record should you use?
| Record | Use it when | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| A | Your host gives you an IPv4 address. | Points a DNS name to an IPv4 address. |
| AAAA | Your host gives you an IPv6 address. | Points a DNS name to an IPv6 address. |
| CNAME | Your host gives you a target hostname, such as a service-provided address. | Maps one DNS name to another. A standard CNAME cannot coexist with other record types at that same name and cannot be used at the zone apex. |
The zone apex is the bare domain, such as example.com; www.example.com is a subdomain. Some DNS providers offer an ALIAS or similar feature, or flatten CNAMEs, to support an apex destination. These are provider-specific behaviors rather than a universal DNS record type. Check your DNS host’s instructions. See AWS: Supported DNS record types and Cloudflare: Create zone apex record.
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How do I point my domain to my server?
- Get the destination from your web host. Ask for the exact IPv4 address, IPv6 address, or hostname to use, and whether the provider requires its own name servers. Do not guess an address from another site or use a temporary server address.
- Find the authoritative DNS host. Check the active name servers in your registrar’s domain settings. If they point to a separate DNS provider, create or edit records in that provider’s DNS zone—not in a non-authoritative zone at the registrar. AWS documents this arrangement as entering the hosted zone’s name servers at the registrar: AWS: Configuring DNS routing for a new domain.
- Add the host’s requested record. Use A for an IPv4 target, AAAA for IPv6, or CNAME for a hostname target where permitted. Follow the provider’s specified name and value; dashboard labels and requirements vary.
- Decide how the bare domain and
wwwshould work. If visitors should reach the site at bothexample.comandwww.example.com, configure both names according to your host’s instructions. Then set the preferred redirect or canonical domain at the hosting service. DNS resolution alone does not create an HTTP redirect. - Preserve records for other services. Do not replace the entire DNS zone with only website records. MX records may route email, while TXT records may support ownership verification and other services. Keep existing entries unless the responsible provider confirms they can be removed.
- Choose a TTL and verify the change. TTL controls how long resolvers may cache a DNS answer. For a planned change to an established record, AWS gives 300 seconds (five minutes) as an example of a shorter TTL; a shorter TTL can help later changes become visible sooner but increases resolver queries. After the change is checked, the TTL can be raised again. See AWS: Values specific for simple records.
Should you change name servers or just add a record?
If your current DNS host is staying in place, you usually add the website record in its active zone and leave the registrar’s name-server delegation unchanged. If you are moving DNS to a different provider, first create and verify the needed records in the new zone, then update the name servers at the registrar. Changing delegation before the new zone is ready can interrupt the website and other services.
AWS says name-server information is typically cached for two days and warns that incorrect name-server changes can cause up to two days of unavailability. This is AWS operational guidance, not a universal propagation deadline; actual timing depends on caching and the configuration. See AWS: Adding or changing name servers and glue records for a domain.
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What DNS does—and what it does not do
DNS lookup supplies an address or target. The browser then connects to that destination, and the server or hosted service must be configured to return the intended site. Your hosting panel may require you to add the domain to the correct site, application, or virtual host. AWS’s overview describes this sequence from DNS lookup through the browser’s connection and server response: AWS: How internet traffic is routed to your website or web application.
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Cloudflare proxy status: a separate setting from the target
If your DNS host offers proxying, its proxy setting determines whether HTTP and HTTPS traffic passes through that provider or goes directly to your origin server. It does not change what the record’s target means. Cloudflare says its A, AAAA, and CNAME records can be proxied; MX and TXT records are DNS-only. Check the proxy mode against your web host’s requirements, especially during initial setup or troubleshooting. See Cloudflare: Proxy status.
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- Check public DNS. Confirm that the domain returns the expected A, AAAA, or CNAME answer. If it does not, check that you edited the zone named by the active name servers and that the record name and target match the host’s instructions.
- Check the hosting configuration. If DNS points to the right destination but the site is missing or the wrong site appears, confirm the domain is attached to the correct site or virtual host and that the server or hosted service is available.
- Check HTTPS separately. If the site loads over HTTP but HTTPS fails or shows the wrong certificate, investigate the host’s certificate and TLS configuration rather than changing a correct DNS target.
- Allow for the relevant cache. Record changes may take time to appear because resolvers cache answers for the record’s TTL. Name-server changes involve delegation caching, which is distinct from an individual record’s TTL. Inspect DNS responses rather than relying on a fixed claim that all changes take a particular number of hours.
Common setup mistakes to avoid
- Editing DNS at the registrar when the domain delegates to a different DNS provider.
- Putting a standard CNAME at the bare domain instead of using a provider-supported apex method or the host’s documented alternative.
- Changing name servers before copying and checking the records the new zone needs.
- Deleting MX or TXT entries while simplifying the zone, potentially disrupting email or verification.
- Assuming a correct DNS answer also binds the domain to the site or makes HTTPS work.
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