Pointing your domain's DNS after you order hosting

You've paid, your hosting account is ready, and the welcome email is in your inbox. But when you type your domain into the browser, you still see the registrar's parking page or the old site. That's because the domain doesn't know about your new hosting yet. You have to point it there with DNS.

This guide explains the two ways to do that, where to make the change at the registrars most people in India use, how long it takes, how to check it, and how to avoid breaking your email along the way.

Nameservers vs A record: the two ways to point a domain

DNS is the internet's address book. When someone types yourdomain.com, DNS tells their browser which server to go to. You can point a domain in one of two ways.

Option 1: Change the nameservers. Nameservers decide who manages all the DNS records for your domain. If you switch them to your host's nameservers, the host's DNS takes over every record: the website, www, mail, and the rest. You then manage DNS from the Zone Editor in cPanel.

• Best when: the domain is new, or you want everything (site and email) on the hosting.
• What you need: the nameservers in your welcome email.

Option 2: Change the A record only. An A record maps a name to a server IP address. You keep DNS where it is now (your registrar or Cloudflare) and only change the records for the website, usually @ (the bare domain) and www.

• Best when: email or other services already run on this domain (Google Workspace, Zoho Mail, Microsoft 365, a verification record) and you don't want to touch them, or you use Cloudflare.
• What you need: the server IP address from your order details or welcome email.

Use one method or the other, not both. Changing the nameservers and editing A records at the old DNS just means the old records are ignored.

Where to change it at common registrars

Every registrar redesigns its dashboard now and then, so the exact menu names move around. The path is almost always the same: log in, open your domain list, choose the domain, then find the DNS or nameserver settings.

• GoDaddy: open your domain portfolio and choose the domain. Its DNS settings have a nameservers section where you can switch from GoDaddy's default nameservers to your own and enter the new ones. The same DNS page lists the records if you're using the A-record method.
• Hostinger: if the domain is registered with Hostinger but your hosting is elsewhere, open the domain in Hostinger's panel and look for the DNS / nameservers settings. Change the nameservers, or edit the A records in the DNS zone.
• BigRock: log in to the control panel, open the domain's management page, and look for the name servers option to replace the current values. DNS records are managed from the same domain page.
• Namecheap: in the domain list, click Manage on the domain. Under Nameservers, choose the custom DNS option and enter the new nameservers. For the A-record method, use the advanced DNS settings instead.
• Cloudflare: if your domain uses Cloudflare, keep Cloudflare's nameservers. A domain registered through Cloudflare Registrar has to use them. Go to the domain's DNS records and edit the A record for @ and the record for www to point to the hosting server. Leave the proxy off (DNS only) until the site and SSL work, then turn it back on if you want it.

If you can't find the setting, search your registrar's help pages for "change nameservers" or "edit A record". Their own guide will match their current screens.

How long does it take?

DNS changes aren't instant, because resolvers around the world cache old answers for a while:

• Nameserver changes often show up within a few hours but can take up to 24–48 hours to reach every network.
• A record changes depend on the record's TTL (time to live), the number of seconds resolvers may cache it. With a typical TTL, most visitors see the change within an hour or so.

Tip: if you're moving a live site with the A-record method, lower the TTL a day before the move (for example to 300 seconds). The final switch then spreads much faster.

During this window, some people may see the new site and others the old one. That's normal. Don't keep switching settings back and forth. It only resets the wait.

How to check if DNS has updated

Your own computer and browser cache DNS too, so "it still shows the old site for me" doesn't always mean the change failed. Check from outside:

• On Mac or Linux, open a terminal and run these:
• dig NS yourdomain.com +short shows the current nameservers.
• dig A yourdomain.com +short shows the IP the domain points to.
• dig A www.yourdomain.com +short checks www separately.
• dig @8.8.8.8 A yourdomain.com +short asks Google's public resolver directly.
• On Windows, use nslookup -type=NS yourdomain.com and nslookup yourdomain.com.
• Online checkers such as whatsmydns.net or Google's Admin Toolbox Dig show what resolvers in different places see.

When the nameservers or IP match your welcome email for most locations, you're done waiting.

Be careful with email (MX records)

This is the mistake that hurts most, because nobody notices until mail stops arriving.

MX records tell the world where to deliver mail for your domain. If you change the nameservers, the old DNS zone and its MX records stop applying. Mail only keeps flowing if the same records exist at the new DNS.

Before you switch nameservers, open your current DNS settings and note down:

• MX records (Google Workspace, Zoho Mail, Microsoft 365, or your old host's mail)
• TXT records: SPF, DKIM, and any verification records, including Google Search Console's domain verification
• CNAME records for subdomains or services such as a shop builder or a mail provider

Then choose one of these:

• Keep mail where it is: after the nameservers switch, recreate those MX, TXT, and CNAME records in the Zone Editor in cPanel. In cPanel's email routing setting, make sure the domain is set to use a remote mail exchanger, so the server doesn't try to deliver that mail locally.
• Use the mailbox on your plan: if you're moving mail to the hosting (Starter has 1 mailbox, Growth 5, Pro unlimited), create the mailbox in cPanel first, then let the new MX records take over. Mail already sitting at the old provider doesn't move by itself.
• Avoid the question entirely: use the A-record method, and your existing mail records stay exactly as they are.

What happens to SSL after you point the domain

Free SSL comes with every CheapHostIndia plan, and it's issued automatically through cPanel. The certificate can only be issued after the domain points to the hosting, because the certificate authority checks that the domain really resolves to our server.

So for the first few hours you may see a certificate warning or no padlock at all. Once DNS has updated, cPanel issues the certificate. Make sure www points to the hosting too, or the certificate can't cover it. If the domain resolves correctly and https still isn't working after a while, open the SSL section in cPanel or contact us with the domain name. Our free SSL guide covers the https redirect and mixed-content fixes.

Common mistakes

• Typos in nameservers. One wrong letter and the domain stops resolving. Copy and paste them from the welcome email.
• Forgetting www. yourdomain.com works, www.yourdomain.com doesn't. Add an A record for www, or a CNAME pointing to the bare domain.
• Leaving an old AAAA record. An AAAA record is the IPv6 version of an A record. If one still points to the old host, some visitors land there. Remove it unless your host gave you an IPv6 address.
• DNSSEC left on at the registrar. If DNSSEC is enabled with the old provider's keys and you change the nameservers, the domain can fail to resolve. Turn DNSSEC off before switching, and turn it back on later only if the new DNS supports it.
• An expired or locked domain. Check that the domain is active and renewed. A suspended domain won't resolve, whatever you set.
• Testing too early and panicking. Use the checks above before you assume something is broken.
• Installing WordPress before DNS points. It works, but you'll be fixing URLs and SSL afterwards. Our WordPress checklist puts the steps in the easier order.

Moving an existing site?

If the site already lives on another host, point DNS last, after the files and database are on the new hosting. Then visitors never see an empty site. Your first paid order includes one free migration for a WordPress or normal static site. We guide it on WhatsApp after payment, and DNS cutover is part of that guidance. It isn't an automatic tool, and it doesn't cover email moves from every old host. The details are in our FAQ.

Pick a plan, then pay

CheapHostIndia plans are Starter at ₹49/month (1 website, 5 GB SSD, 1 mailbox), Growth at ₹69/month (5 websites, 20 GB SSD, 5 mailboxes), and Pro at ₹99/month (unlimited websites, 50 GB SSD, unlimited mailboxes). Yearly is 10× monthly: ₹490, ₹690, or ₹990. All three include cPanel, free SSL, and unmetered bandwidth. Your account is provisioned automatically after payment, the welcome email has what you need to point the domain, and the steps above take it from there. Choose a plan on pricing.