Understanding Domain Propagation
Domains resolve on the internet using DNS. Think of DNS like a phone book for the internet that helps direct domains to their hosting destination.
If you make changes to your nameservers and/or DNS records, those changes will take time to propagate and are not instant. Because of the tremendous size of the internet, it simply takes time to push any changes across all DNS servers worldwide.
This is perfectly normal and not a limitation of any single registrar — this affects all domains across all registrars on the internet.
How Long Does Propagation Take?
Propagation can take up to 48 hours to complete and affects both websites and email. While there are no ways to speed things up, clearing your browser cache may help you see the changes sooner. You can also try:
- Using a different browser
- Using incognito/private browsing mode
- Flushing your local DNS cache
Location is also a factor when it comes to propagation, and seeing different behavior in different parts of the world is expected.
Symptoms During Propagation
While propagation occurs, you may see the following symptoms:
- The website is not resolving
- The website is resolving to the previous version or host
- The website works intermittently:
- Works for some visitors in parts of the world, but not others
- Works in certain browsers, but not others
- Works on certain devices, but not others
- Some emails are delivered, but not others
- Emails will not be received for the domain, but you can still send from the address
Checking Propagation Status
A commonly used tool that helps provide information on propagation status is WhatsMyDNS. This tool checks DNS records from multiple locations around the world and shows you where changes have propagated.
What to Do If Propagation Takes Too Long
If 48 hours have passed and you are not seeing any changes, please contact your domain registrar’s support team for assistance. Common issues include:
- Incorrect DNS records entered
- Old nameservers not fully removed
- TTL (Time to Live) values set too high on previous records
- Local DNS cache not cleared