Connect your domain to your new website

First, get your launch details from us

Your domain is your website’s address. DNS is the set of directions that tells visitors where to find it. Connecting your domain updates those directions once your new site is ready.

We’ll identify each record’s type, name, destination, and any special settings, plus the old website records to replace. We’ll also check how your email is set up. If you haven’t received these details, email us with your domain name.

• Have access to the account that manages your DNS. Keep passwords and sign-in codes private.
• Save a screenshot or export of the current DNS records before editing.
• Keep your old hosting and email services active while we finish the switch.

Find the right place to make the change

The company where you bought your domain is your registrar. It may also manage your DNS, but sometimes another service does that job. Your domain’s nameservers identify who manages its live DNS settings.

For example, a domain bought at GoDaddy could use Cloudflare for DNS. In that case, follow the Cloudflare guide. Don’t change nameservers just to match a walkthrough; that can affect the whole domain, including email.

If you don’t know which account to use, send us your domain name. We’ll help identify the right provider.

• GoDaddy
• Wix
• Namecheap
• Squarespace Domains, including former Google Domains
• Cloudflare

Another provider? Ask us for help with its DNS settings. You don’t need to transfer your domain to use Your Website People.

Know which records you’re looking at

Your launch instructions may include records like these. This table explains the labels; it is not a list of values to enter.

Copy the supplied destination exactly. An IP address or hostname is not a web link: don’t add https://, a slash, or a page path.

Update just the website records

1. Open your provider’s guide. Sign in and find the DNS records for the correct domain.
2. Match each change to our launch instructions. Edit the existing record where possible. Add a record only when it’s missing.
3. Check for old website destinations. Old A, AAAA, CNAME, parking, or forwarding entries can conflict. Replace only the entries we’ve identified; don’t delete every record of a given type.
4. Save and let us know. Keep a copy of what you changed so we can check it together.

Your existing email provider stays in place. Keep its MX, TXT, mail-related CNAME records, and other email settings. Read how we keep your email working, including what to check if email comes with your old hosting.

Give it time, then check the essentials

Some visitors may see the new website before others because their networks remember the old DNS settings. Changes often appear sooner, but providers such as GoDaddy and Wix advise allowing up to 48 hours. Follow the timing in your provider’s guide and avoid repeatedly changing records while waiting.

• Open your domain both with and without www. Both should reach your new website, or one should redirect to the other.
• Check that HTTPS works without a certificate warning. Tell us about warnings so we can check the certificate setup.
• Try your contact links, booking links, and website form.
• Send an email to an outside address and have that person reply. Check both sending and receiving.

If the old site still appears, try a different network, such as mobile data. A private browser window alone doesn’t clear your network’s DNS cache. If a record won’t save, one address works but the other doesn’t, or email stops working, contact us with the domain, what changed, and the error you see. We’ll help check the next step.

Wait for our launch checks before canceling old hosting. Domain renewal and email subscriptions may still be needed.