How to Point Your Domain to a New Host

Your domain and your hosting are two separate things. To go live on a new host you just tell the domain where to send visitors, here's how.

There are two ways to connect a domain to a host: change the nameservers, or change individual DNS records. Most people should use nameservers: it's simpler and harder to get wrong.

Option A: Change the nameservers (recommended)

Your new host gives you two or more nameservers (e.g. ns1.ganderweb.co.uk). Log in to your domain registrar (where you bought the domain. GoDaddy, 123-reg, Nominet, etc.), find "Nameservers", and replace the existing ones. Your host now manages all DNS for the domain.

Option B: Change individual DNS records

If you need to keep some records elsewhere (e.g. email on a different provider), leave the nameservers and instead edit records: point the A record for @ to your host's server IP, and the CNAME for www to your domain. Leave MX records pointing at your email provider.

Lower the TTL before you switch

TTL (time-to-live) tells the internet how long to cache a record. A day before changing anything, set the TTL to 300 seconds so your change takes effect in minutes rather than hours.

Understand propagation

DNS changes don't happen instantly worldwide: they "propagate". With a low TTL most visitors update within an hour, but allow up to 24–48 hours for everyone. Don't cancel your old host until it's done.

Common mistakes to avoid

Changing nameservers and A records at once, pick one method.
Forgetting MX records, which knocks out email.
Cancelling the old host before propagation finishes.

Key takeaways

Use nameservers unless you need split DNS.
Lower TTL to 300s a day before switching.
Keep MX records intact so email keeps working.
Allow up to 48 hours for full propagation.

Not sure which records to change?

We'll set up your DNS correctly and handle the cut-over so your site and email keep working.

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Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between a domain registrar and a host?

The registrar is where you rent the domain name; the host is where your website's files live. The domain "points" to the host.

Why is my site not updating after changing DNS?

It's propagation/caching. With a low TTL it's usually under an hour; clear your browser cache and try a different network to check.

Will changing nameservers break my email?

It can, if your email is elsewhere, moving nameservers moves all DNS. Use the A-record method, or recreate the MX records on the new host.