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How to point a domain to a website

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When you point a domain to a website, you are telling the internet where to send anyone who types that domain into a browser. Without this step, there is no link between the name people type and the server where your site files live. The process comes down to updating a few settings in your domain account, and once those settings take effect, your site goes live under your chosen name. To understand the full picture of how that lookup process works, start with how DNS works.

What does it mean to point a domain to a website?

Every website sits on a server, and every server has an IP address. An IP address is a string of numbers that identifies a specific computer on the internet. Your domain name is the human-friendly version of that address. Pointing your domain means configuring your domain's DNS settings so that when someone enters your domain name, their browser knows which server to contact.

Think of it like saving a contact in your phone. The phone number (IP address) already exists. You are just attaching a name (domain) to it so you can find it without remembering the number.

If you want a clearer picture of how domains and servers relate, the chapter on domain vs hosting breaks that relationship down.

What are the two ways to point a domain to a website?

There are two main methods for connecting your domain to your hosting server. Both accomplish the same result, but they work differently and are suited to different situations.

Changing your nameservers

Nameservers are the addresses that tell the internet which DNS provider is responsible for your domain. When you change your nameservers to the ones provided by your hosting company, you are handing over full DNS control to that host. From that point, all DNS records for your domain are managed by the hosting provider.

This is the most common method when you sign up with a new hosting provider. They give you two or more nameserver addresses, and you enter those into your domain registrar account. Once the change takes effect, your domain resolves through the host's DNS servers, and your website appears.

Adding an A record or CNAME record

An A record maps your domain directly to an IP address. Instead of handing over full DNS control, you keep your current nameservers and simply add a record that says "this domain points to this specific server." A CNAME record works similarly but maps your domain to another domain name instead of an IP address. CNAME records are common with platforms that give you a platform-specific URL and ask you to point your custom domain to it.

This method is useful when you want to keep your DNS managed in one place, such as your registrar, while still connecting your domain to a hosting server or website platform elsewhere.

When should you use each method?

Choosing between nameservers and A records depends on your setup and how much DNS control you want to keep at your registrar.

The nameserver method works best in these situations.

You are setting up a brand new website with a hosting provider
You want your hosting provider to manage all DNS settings for you
You do not have other services (like email) tied to DNS records you need to keep at your registrar

The A record or CNAME method is the better choice in these situations.

You want to keep DNS management at your registrar
You have email or other services running on DNS records you do not want to move
Your website platform gives you an IP address or platform URL to point to rather than nameservers
You are connecting a subdomain (like shop.yourdomain.com) to a different server than your main site

How to point a domain by changing nameservers

Follow these steps to connect your domain to your hosting by updating nameservers.

Step 1. Get the nameserver addresses from your host

Log in to your hosting account and find the nameserver information. This is usually in the welcome email your host sent after you signed up, or in the account dashboard under DNS or domain settings. You will see two or more addresses that look something like ns1.yourhost.com and ns2.yourhost.com.

Step 2. Log in to your domain registrar

Go to the registrar where you bought your domain and log in. Navigate to the domain management area and find the domain you want to connect.

Step 3. Find the nameserver settings

Look for an option labeled Nameservers, DNS Settings, or Domain DNS. Most registrars group this under the domain's management page. You should see the current nameservers listed there, usually the registrar's default nameservers.

Step 4. Replace the nameservers

Switch from the default nameservers to custom nameservers. Enter the nameserver addresses you got from your hosting provider. Make sure you enter them exactly as they appear, with no extra spaces or missing characters.

Step 5. Save and wait

Save the changes. The update needs time to spread across the internet, a process called DNS propagation. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours, though most changes take effect within a few hours.

How to point a domain using an A record

If you prefer to keep your nameservers where they are, you can connect your domain by adding an A record instead.

Step 1. Get the IP address from your host or platform

Log in to your hosting account or website platform and find the IP address of your server. This is the address your domain will point to. It looks something like 192.0.2.1. If your platform gives you a URL instead of an IP address (like sites.yourplatform.com), you will use a CNAME record instead of an A record.

Step 2. Open your DNS management

Go to whichever service manages your DNS. If you kept your registrar's nameservers, this is your registrar. Log in and navigate to the DNS records for your domain.

Step 3. Add or edit the A record

Find the existing A record for your domain (the one with @ or your domain name as the host) and update the value to the IP address from your hosting provider. If no A record exists, create a new one. Set the host to @ (which represents your root domain) and enter the IP address as the value.

Step 4. Add an A record for www

Create a second A record with the host set to www and the same IP address. This ensures that visitors who type www.yourdomain.com also reach your site. If your platform uses a CNAME instead, add a CNAME record with host set to www and the value set to the URL your platform provided.

Step 5. Save and wait for propagation

Save the new records. Just like nameserver changes, A record updates go through DNS propagation and can take a few minutes to 48 hours to take effect globally.

How to verify your domain is connected

After making the changes, you need to confirm the connection is working properly before telling anyone your site is live.

Open your domain in a browser. Type your domain name into the address bar and see if your website loads. Try both yourdomain.com and www.yourdomain.com.
Use a DNS lookup tool. Free DNS checker tools let you type in your domain and see what IP address it resolves to. Confirm it matches the IP address of your hosting server.
Check from different locations. DNS propagation happens gradually, so your domain might work in one region before another. Online propagation checkers show you the status across multiple locations around the world.
Verify SSL is active. Once the domain resolves, check that your site loads over HTTPS with a valid SSL certificate. If the browser shows a "not secure" warning, your SSL still needs to be set up or is not yet issued for the new domain.

How long does DNS propagation take?

DNS propagation is the time it takes for the updated DNS information to spread across all DNS servers worldwide. When you change your nameservers or add an A record, that change starts at your registrar or DNS provider and then copies outward to other DNS servers one by one.

In practice, most changes take effect within 1 to 4 hours. The full propagation window can extend up to 48 hours, though this is rare with modern infrastructure. During propagation, some visitors may still see the old destination (or an error page) while others already see the updated site. This is normal and temporary.

You cannot speed up propagation, but you can prepare for it. If you are launching a new site, make the DNS change a day or two before your planned launch date so the connection is fully live by the time you announce it.

What to do if your domain is not connecting

If you made the changes and your domain still is not loading your website, work through these common causes.

Propagation is not finished. If it has been less than 48 hours, the change may still be spreading. Check a propagation tool to see the current status in different regions.
Nameserver addresses are wrong. A single typo in a nameserver address will break the connection. Go back to your registrar and compare the entries character by character against what your hosting provider gave you.
A record points to the wrong IP. Confirm the IP address in your A record matches the IP shown in your hosting account. If your host recently migrated your site or changed servers, the IP may have changed.
Missing www record. If yourdomain.com works but www.yourdomain.com does not (or the other way around), you are missing a DNS record for the version that is not working. Add the missing A record or CNAME for www.
Browser cache. Your browser may be caching the old DNS information. Try loading the domain in a private or incognito window, or clear your browser cache and try again.
Hosting account not set up for the domain. Your hosting server needs to know it should respond to your domain. Most hosts require you to add your domain inside the hosting control panel. If the domain is not listed as an active domain on the hosting side, the server will not serve your site even if DNS points correctly.

How to handle www vs. non-www

Your domain can be accessed two ways. Visitors might type yourdomain.com or www.yourdomain.com. Both need to work, and ideally one should redirect to the other so search engines treat them as the same page.

Pick one version as your primary. It does not matter which, but once you choose, stick with it. Set up a redirect from the version you do not use to the one you do. For example, if your primary is yourdomain.com, set www.yourdomain.com to redirect there.

When setting up DNS records, make sure both versions resolve. If you are using A records, add one for @ (the root domain) and one for www. If your platform handles this automatically, confirm it by testing both versions in a browser after propagation.

How WEMASY handles domain connections

When you build a website with WEMASY, connecting your domain is straightforward. WEMASY provides the DNS settings you need to point your domain to your site. You add those settings at your registrar, and WEMASY handles the rest on the hosting side. SSL is set up automatically once the domain is connected, so your site loads securely without any extra configuration. There is no need to manually configure hosting, set up server files, or manage certificates yourself. See what each plan includes at WEMASY pricing.