Category: Domains & DNS • Est. reading time: 4 minutes
Once you have bought a domain, you have to tell it what to do. On its own it is just a name. Getting it to actually load your website means deciding where it is controlled and pointing it at your server. Let us walk through it.
Where Is Your Domain Controlled?
A domain is steered by its nameserver, and you choose where that control lives: at your hosting company or at the registrar where you bought it. Larger companies that use their domain for many services beyond a website often keep control at the registrar. Most people simply point the domain at their host and let the host handle the rest.
If You Manage DNS at the Registrar
Going this route means working in what is called the DNS zone. To point your domain at your website, you add an A record like this:
- Type: A Record
- Host: @
- Value: the IP address of your hosting server
- TTL: leave it on automatic, or set the lowest value available
If You Point to Your Host’s Nameservers
This is the more common path. Your host gives you two nameserver addresses, and you enter both at your registrar. They usually look like this:
- ns1.yourhost.com
- ns2.yourhost.com
Give It Time to Take Effect
Changes are not always instant. This spread across the internet is called propagation, and it can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours, depending on the registrar. To watch the change roll out, you can check your A record or nameservers at dnschecker.org.
Patience pays here. If your site does not load right after a DNS change, it is very often just propagation. Give it time before assuming something is wrong.
Want us to handle the DNS so you never touch a zone file? Reach us at support@allydrez.com or 1-321-209-2004.