A new website can be fully built and ready to launch, yet remain invisible because its domain is still pointing somewhere else. Knowing how to point a domain correctly connects the address your customers type into their browser with the hosting account where your website lives.
The process is usually straightforward, but the right method depends on where the domain is registered, where the website is hosted and whether you use email on that domain. A rushed DNS change can temporarily take a website offline or interrupt business email, so it is worth taking a few minutes to check the details first.
What it means to point a domain
Your domain name, such as `yourbusiness.co.uk`, is the memorable address people use to find you online. Your web hosting account contains the website files, database and server settings needed to display your site.
Pointing a domain tells the internet where to find that hosting account. This instruction is handled through DNS, short for Domain Name System. DNS records work rather like a directory: they translate a domain name into the server location and services associated with it.
There are two common ways to point a domain to hosting. You can change the domain’s nameservers so that the hosting provider manages all DNS records, or you can keep DNS where it is and update only the records required for the website. Neither option is automatically better. The sensible choice depends largely on where your email and other services are managed.
Before you change any DNS settings
First, establish who currently controls your domain’s DNS. This is often the company where you registered the domain, but not always. A domain may be registered with one provider while its nameservers, website hosting and email are managed elsewhere.
You will need access to the account that manages the domain or its DNS zone. You should also have the correct nameservers or IP address from your web host. Do not guess these values. An incorrect record can prevent visitors reaching your site.
If you already receive email at the domain, make a note of the existing MX records, along with any SPF, DKIM and DMARC records. These records support email delivery and authentication. They matter particularly if you use Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or a separate email provider.
It is also sensible to reduce the DNS TTL, or Time To Live, a day before a planned change if your provider allows it. TTL tells other servers how long to remember an existing DNS answer. A lower value can help changes become visible sooner, although it does not make every network update instantly.
How to point a domain using nameservers
Changing nameservers is often the simplest route when your website hosting provider will also manage your DNS. It gives one provider control of the web, email and verification records for the domain, which can make ongoing administration easier.
Log in to the account where the domain is registered and find the domain management or nameserver settings. Replace the current nameservers with the pair supplied by your hosting provider, then save the change.
Once the new nameservers are active, the DNS zone held by the hosting provider becomes the live version. Before making this change, make sure the new DNS zone includes all records you need. At a minimum, this is likely to include records for your website and email. If you use third-party services for booking systems, payment tools, email marketing or site verification, their DNS records may need to be copied across as well.
Nameserver changes are useful when you want a cleaner, consolidated setup. The trade-off is that every service using the domain needs to be represented in the new DNS zone. Missing records are the main cause of email or connected services failing after a nameserver change.
When nameservers are the right choice
Use nameservers when the host is managing the entire website and DNS setup, especially for a new domain or a site moving with its email services. It is also a practical option for first-time website owners who prefer one place to manage the essential settings.
If your email is managed externally and is working well, changing only the website records may be less disruptive.
How to point a domain by updating DNS records
The second method keeps your current nameservers in place. Instead, you edit the DNS records within the existing DNS control panel. This is commonly the better option when a separate provider manages your business email.
For a standard website, your host will normally provide an IP address for an A record. Update the A record for the root domain, often shown as `@`, to that IP address. You will normally also create or update a CNAME record for `www` so that `www.yourbusiness.co.uk` reaches the same website.
The precise record values vary by hosting platform. Some providers ask for an A record for both the root domain and `www`; others use a CNAME for `www`. Follow the values supplied by the host rather than copying an example from another service.
Avoid deleting records that you do not recognise until you have confirmed their purpose. Existing MX, TXT and CNAME records may be supporting email, security checks or third-party tools. Updating the web records should not require you to remove everything else.
A simple example
If your host gives you an IP address of `192.0.2.10`, your DNS zone may need an A record with the host set to `@` and the value set to `192.0.2.10`. A `www` CNAME record may then point to `yourbusiness.co.uk`.
This is only an illustration. Use the actual server details supplied with your hosting account, as a different configuration may be required.
Add the domain inside your hosting account
Pointing DNS is only one side of the setup. Your hosting account also needs to know which website should respond when the domain is requested.
In your hosting control panel, add the domain as the primary domain, an additional domain or an alias, depending on the account type and your intended use. Then check that the website files are in the correct document root. If you use WordPress or another website platform, confirm the site address matches the domain you are connecting.
It is common for a new site to show a default holding page, an old website or a directory listing when the DNS is correct but the hosting setup is incomplete. This does not necessarily mean the domain is pointing incorrectly. It may simply mean the server does not yet have the right website assigned to that address.
Allow time for DNS changes to take effect
DNS updates are not always visible immediately. Smaller record changes can appear within minutes, while nameserver changes may take up to 24 to 48 hours to be recognised everywhere. Many visitors will see the new website sooner, but different internet providers and devices may update at different times.
During this period, avoid repeatedly changing records in an attempt to force the update. Each alteration can create further confusion and extend the time needed to identify the correct configuration.
You can check progress by visiting the domain from a mobile connection as well as your usual broadband, or by using a different device. If one connection shows the new website and another shows the old one, DNS propagation is likely still underway.
Check the website, email and security certificate
Once the domain resolves to the new hosting, test both versions of the address: `yourbusiness.co.uk` and `www.yourbusiness.co.uk`. Choose one as the preferred version and redirect the other to it, so visitors and search engines consistently reach the same site.
Then test key pages, contact forms and any online shop functions. If you use business email, send a message to and from the domain. This confirms that changing DNS has not affected mail delivery.
Finally, make sure an SSL certificate is active. Your website should load using `https://` without a browser security warning. SSL protects information sent between the visitor and your site, and it is expected by customers, browsers and search engines alike.
Common problems when pointing a domain
A domain that still displays an old site may be using cached DNS information or may have an old A record left in place. A website that works with `www` but not without it, or the other way around, usually needs the missing A record, CNAME record or redirect checked.
If email stops after a nameserver change, compare the previous MX and TXT records with the records in the new DNS zone. Restoring the correct mail records normally resolves the issue. For Microsoft 365, retain all records provided for email delivery and domain verification, not just the MX record.
A browser privacy warning after a move may mean the SSL certificate has not yet been issued, the domain has not fully propagated or the hosting account is not configured for the domain. Allow a little time after DNS becomes active, then check the certificate and domain assignment in the hosting panel.
If you are moving an established business website, plan the change for a quieter period and keep a record of every setting before editing it. Pac Web Hosting can help customers check the required hosting and DNS details, which is often preferable to making changes to a live business domain without certainty.
A correctly pointed domain is one of those behind-the-scenes jobs visitors never notice – and that is exactly the outcome you want. Take the careful route, preserve any working email records and test the result before announcing that your new website is live.
