People type names. Computers find each other by number addresses. DNS links the two. When you change DNS, the change has to spread across the internet, which takes time.
The words you will see
- Domain: the name, like example.com.
- Nameservers: the servers that keep a domain's records, usually two, like ns1 and ns2. You set them where the domain is registered.
- A record: points a name to an address (a set of numbers). @ means the domain itself.
- CNAME record: points one name to another name, like www.example.com to example.com.
- MX record: says where the domain's email goes.
- TXT record: a line of text, often used to prove you own a domain.
- Glue record: tells the internet the address of nameservers that are named after your own domain, like ns1.example.com.
Which one do I need?
- To put your website on your own domain: an A record and a CNAME, shown on Your domain. See Connect your own domain.
- To run your own nameservers: two glue records, shown on Nameservers. See Use your own nameservers.
- Your customers manage the records of their own domains on the domain's page in their client area.
Why changes take time
Our screens tell you what to expect. Your domain says a domain is usually live within an hour, and DNS can take up to a few hours. Nameservers says glue can take up to 24 hours. After a customer saves new nameservers, the screen says it can take some hours for the change to reach everyone.
Common problems
My domain still shows the old website
The change has not reached everyone yet. Check that the records match the screen exactly, then wait a little and try again.
Email stopped after changing nameservers
The new nameservers do not have the domain's email (MX) records. Add them at the new nameservers, or switch back to the old nameservers.