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To connect a domain to a server, add the web host’s specified DNS record at the provider operating your domain’s authoritative DNS, then configure the server or hosting account to accept that domain. Use an A record for an IPv4 address, an AAAA record for IPv6, or a CNAME for a hostname when the name is not the bare domain. DNS points browsers toward a destination; it does not configure the website or its HTTPS certificate.
How do I point my domain to my server?
First get the exact destination from your web host: an IP address, a target hostname, or instructions to use its name servers. Then find the DNS provider currently authoritative for your domain and add the appropriate record there. Do not guess an address or assume the registrar is also the DNS host.
- Get the target. Ask the web host which record type and exact value it requires for your domain. A temporary server address may not be the correct public destination.
- Find the active DNS host. Check the domain’s name-server delegation at the registrar. If those name servers belong to another DNS provider, make changes in that provider’s DNS zone. AWS documents this arrangement: a hosted zone at one provider can be delegated by entering its name servers at the registrar (AWS: Configuring DNS routing for a new domain).
- Add records for the names you want to serve. Configure the bare domain, a subdomain such as
www, or both according to the host’s instructions. - Bind the domain to the site. Add the hostname in the hosting panel or configure the server’s virtual host so it serves the intended website for that name.
- Test DNS and the website separately. Confirm the DNS answer, then check that the intended site loads over HTTP and HTTPS.
Which DNS record should I use?
The record type depends on what the web host supplied. AWS defines A and AAAA records for IP addresses and CNAME records for mapping one DNS name to another (AWS: Supported DNS record types).
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute| Record | Use it when the host gives you | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| A | An IPv4 address | Points the name to that IPv4 address. |
| AAAA | An IPv6 address | Points the name to that IPv6 address. |
| CNAME | A hostname, such as a service-provided target | Maps one DNS name to another. A standard CNAME cannot coexist with other record types at the same name, and cannot be used at the zone apex. |
The zone apex is the bare domain, such as example.com; www.example.com is a subdomain. If the host gives you a hostname target for the apex, check its documented method. Some DNS providers support an ALIAS/ANAME-style record or CNAME flattening, but these are provider-specific features rather than a universal DNS record type (Cloudflare: Create zone apex record).
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Do I need records for both the bare domain and www?
Only configure the hostnames you want people to use, but decide explicitly whether the site should work at both the apex and www. They are separate DNS names and may need separate records or a provider-supported apex configuration. The web host must also be set up to serve each hostname.
DNS does not create a web redirect. If one version should be preferred, configure the redirect or canonical behavior at the web host or application after both names resolve. The exact setting depends on the hosting platform.
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Should I change name servers or just add a DNS record?
Changing a web record and changing name servers are different operations. Add a record in the existing authoritative zone if you are keeping your current DNS provider. Change the registrar’s name-server delegation only when you intend to move authority to another DNS provider or the web host specifically requires it.
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How long do DNS changes take?
There is no single wait time that guarantees a change is visible everywhere. Resolvers cache DNS answers according to their TTL, while name-server changes involve delegation caching. Check actual responses rather than treating “propagation” as a countdown.
AWS defines TTL as the period a resolver may cache a record. For a planned change to an established record, AWS gives 300 seconds (five minutes) as an example of a shorter TTL to set in advance; a lower TTL can help subsequent changes appear sooner, but increases resolver queries. After the change is verified, the TTL can be raised again (AWS: Values specific for simple records).
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What happens after DNS resolves?
DNS lookup provides the destination. A browser then connects to it, and the server or hosted service must return the site for the requested hostname. AWS describes this lookup-and-connection sequence in its overview of website traffic routing (AWS: How internet traffic is routed to your website or web application).
- DNS answer is wrong or missing: check that you edited the authoritative zone and that the record name, type, and target match the host’s instructions.
- DNS answer is correct but the wrong site appears: check domain binding, virtual-host configuration, and whether the server is serving the intended site for that hostname.
- The site does not connect: check that the server or hosted service is available and that network or firewall settings allow web traffic.
- HTTP works but HTTPS fails: check TLS certificate issuance and hostname coverage separately. DNS alone does not create a certificate or make the server present one.
Should a DNS record be proxied?
Some DNS providers offer a proxy setting in addition to storing a record. In Cloudflare, proxy status determines whether HTTP/HTTPS traffic for an eligible record passes through Cloudflare or goes directly to the origin; it does not change the record’s target. Cloudflare says A, AAAA, and CNAME records can be proxied, while MX and TXT records are DNS-only (Cloudflare: Proxy status). Follow the web host’s requirements, especially when initially connecting the domain or diagnosing a problem.
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Which existing DNS records should I keep?
Do not replace the DNS zone with only website records. MX records may route email, while TXT records may be used for domain ownership checks or other services. Preserve existing entries unless the service that relies on them confirms they can be removed. AWS’s record-type reference describes these distinct DNS record types (AWS: Supported DNS record types).
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