Pointing a Domain to Hosting

Overview

After purchasing a hosting plan, you need to point your domain name to the hosting server so that visitors can reach your website. This is done by updating your domain’s DNS records or nameservers to direct traffic to the correct server.

Method 1: Using Nameservers

The simplest way to point your domain to your hosting is by updating the nameservers:

1. Find your hosting nameservers — Your hosting provider will supply you with nameserver addresses (e.g., ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com). Check your hosting welcome email or control panel for these.

2. Log into your domain registrar — Go to the registrar where your domain is registered.

3. Update nameservers — Navigate to the domain’s DNS settings and replace the existing nameservers with those provided by your hosting provider.

4. Wait for propagation — DNS changes can take up to 24–48 hours to propagate worldwide, though they often take effect within a few hours.

Method 2: Using A Records

If you prefer to keep your current nameservers (for example, if you use a third-party DNS provider), you can point your domain using an A record:

1. Find your hosting server IP address — This is available in your hosting control panel or welcome email.

2. Log into your DNS manager — Go to wherever your domain’s DNS is managed.

3. Create or update an A record:

   • Host/Name: @ (represents the root domain)
   • Type: A
   • Value/Points to: Your hosting server IP address
   • TTL: 3600 (or default)

4. Add a CNAME for www:

   • Host/Name: www
   • Type: CNAME
   • Value/Points to: yourdomain.com
   • TTL: 3600 (or default)

5. Wait for propagation — Changes typically propagate within a few hours.

Verifying DNS Propagation

You can verify that your domain is pointing to the correct server using:

• Online tools: Use websites like whatsmydns.com or dnschecker.org to check global propagation status.
• Command line: Run nslookup yourdomain.com or dig yourdomain.com to see the current DNS resolution.

Troubleshooting

• Website not loading after 48 hours — Double-check that the nameservers or A record values are correct. Ensure there are no typos.
• Seeing the wrong website — Your browser may have cached the old DNS. Try clearing your browser cache or using an incognito window.
• SSL certificate errors — If you have SSL configured, you may need to reissue the certificate after changing DNS records.

Need Help?

If you need assistance pointing your domain to your 10Corp hosting account, contact our support team. We are available to help you get your domain configured correctly.