How to point your domain name to new web server

You have a domain name and a new web server, now you need to point your domain name to your new web server so visitors can access your website through your domain.

Pointing the domain name to the web server is that you establish a link between your domain name and the IP address of a certain web server through the server's IP address or Name Servers of your hosting.

Do you need to point a domain name to a web server?

  • If you have a shared hosting with a domain name from the same provider, you don't need to point your domain name to your hosting because everything is ready for you. 
  • If you register a domain with a registrar separate from the shared hosting provider, you need to connect your domain name to your shared hosting.
  • If you setup a new private virtual server - VPS, you need to connect your domain name to your VPS.

3 way to point your domain name to your web server

1 Point your domain name to your server's IP address

All servers, including shared hosting and virtual private servers - VPS have an IP address. When you sign up for shared hosting or setup your server, you will receive this information.

  1. Login to your domain account
  2. Go to your Domain Manager
  3. Select your domain name
  4. Select Edit DNS or Manage DNS Records or DNS Zone Editor
  5. Create a new record type A enter @ in the Host field or leave it blank, enter your server's IP address in Point to field and keep default TTL value. It will allow access to your website via URL your-domain.com
  6. Create a new record type A enter www in the Host field or leave it blank, enter your server's IP address in Point to field and keep default TTL value. It will allow access to your website via URL www.your-domain.com

Point your domain name to your server's IP address

Use this way if you want to use DNS of your domain registrar.

2 Point your domain name to your web server's name servers

Most domain name registrars provide default DNS service. There is also a Free DNS service. Free DNS is a DNS hosting service provided to help people whose domain registrars do not include DNS hosting with domain registrations.

Many registrars and web hosts will use the term Nameservers interchangeably with Name Servers. It is a common and generally accepted alternate spelling.

Most domain name registrars will set up their name servers for your domain name. Therefore, you must change it to the name servers of your web server. How to change the name servers will depend on the hosting provider's control panel, but it is the same.

  1. Go to your Domain Manager
  2. Look for a control such as Name Servers or NameServers,... in your domain manager control panel.
  3. Select Use Custom Nameservers or Change Nameservers
  4. Enter your name server, sush as ns1.your-domain.com ns2.your-domain.com
  5. Wait for your name server to be updated. It may take from 1 hour to 48 hours.

If you have any questions, contact the domain registrar and let them know that you would like to register private name servers for your domain.

Read more: How to change your name servers of your domain name

Use this way if you want to use DNS of your web hosting.

3 Point your domain name to your private domain name servers

Private domain name servers are DNS name servers that are associated with a particular domain name. Private domain name servers can only be used on Dedicated and VPS. You can use your own DNS name servers, such as ns1.your-domain.com and ns2.your-domain.com instead of the name servers of your web hosting company.

  1. Setup your private domain name servers
    Read more: How to setup private domain name servers in VestaCP
  2. Register Private Name Servers for your domain name
    Read more: How to register Private Name Servers for your domain name
  3. Change your name servers to your private domain name servers
    Read more: How to change your name servers of your domain name

Use this way if you want to use DNS of your server or VPS.