Step-by-Step Guide to Pointing a Domain to Your Hosting

As we know, a website is built on a domain name and hosting from a provider. For your website to run smoothly on Internet, you need to point your domain to your host. Below, Mona Media walks you through 3 ways to point a domain to a host, and what to watch for along the way.

When do you need to point a domain to hosting?

Pointing a domain to a host means logging in to the management area of the domain you were given. After that, when visitors type the domain name, they are sent straight to the host address that holds your website. This step creates the connection between the domain and the hosting.

• The domain name is your website's name, like the name and house number of your address. It carries the basic information that introduces the products and services offered on the site.
• The host works like the plot of land or the warehouse: the storage space that holds all of your website's data.

So pointing a domain to a host is like putting the house number on the door. Do it accurately and carefully, right after your website is designed, to avoid mistakes. It makes the website properly registered under your domain, lets it run on the Internet, and lets visitors find the information they need.

Before pointing a domain to a host, prepare and check these 3 things:

• Identify exactly Name Server.
• IP Address the specific details of your hosting provider.
• Domain login details and password.

3 ways to point a domain to hosting for beginners

Below, MONA gives you 3 simple ways for beginners to point a domain.

Pointing a domain to hosting via Name Server

Advantages

• Very common; this is the method used most often.
• Simple, quick and easy to carry out.
• High success rate.
• Suits people with some experience.

Disadvantages

• Not suited to beginners or people who are unsure of the basics.
• The host's Name Server address must be confirmed first.
• You need access to Nameserver management.

Steps

Pointing a domain to a host via Name Server takes these 3 steps:

Step 1: Find the exact Name Server address of the host

Once you buy or rent hosting from a hosting provider, it is activated. You then receive the full login details for the host, along with the hosting's Name Server addresses.

Step 2: Change the Name Server address directly in the Nameserver management panel.

Step 3: Update the Name Server and check it. Check the domain at https://who.is by entering the host's Name Server address after the main domain has been changed in the management area in step 2.

If your host uses cPanel and you have changed the name server but also want to change the DNS records, do this: open cPanel, choose “Advanced Zone Editor”, and set up the configuration.

Step 4: Once the domain change has been completed and updated, go to https://who.is and check.

Pointing a domain to hosting via the host's IP

Advantages

• Makes full use of the advanced services and features of the Name Server.
• DNS records update quickly and easily, and are the most convenient to manage.
• You can choose any Name Server you like.

Disadvantages

• You need a solid understanding of DNS records.
• Suited to people who know IT.

How to do it

Step 1: Find the hosting IP address

• This step is simple: log in to cPanel, open the “DOMAINS” category, then go to “Advanced Zone Editor”.
• You may also find the IP address in the email you received when you bought the hosting.
• Another way to get your hosting provider's IP address: open “Directadmin”, choose “View more”, then click “Account Configuration”. Copy the IP shown there.

Step 2: Change the records

In domain management, the two default records needed for the site to work normally always carry the main domain name, in this form:

• Record @
• Record www

Point both records to the IP of your hosting provider, then check with “ping” for the most accurate result.

Step 3: Finish

Update the new records and save the changes. You will then see a message that the domain pointing is complete. The process usually takes 5-10 minutes.

Pointing a domain to hosting via an intermediary Name Server

With this method, you can look at some popular intermediary Name Servers such as Namecheap FreeDNS, CloudFlare, Incapsula,… These services are free and widely used.

Advantages

• Bandwidth Server resources are saved as much as possible.
• Maximum website speed.
• High security.
• Limited DDoS Protection against attacks and minimal spam.
• Support Use SSL completely free.

Disadvantages 

Both drawbacks come directly from the Name Server.

• First, if the intermediary Name Server has a fault or any other problem, your website will be affected to some degree by default.
• Second, server Second, users on older operating systems are not supported by the intermediary Name Server's SSL because of compatibility problems.

How to do it

• Step 1: Add your website to the intermediary Name Server. Simply register an account with the intermediary Name Server you choose. Then “confirm the DNS records” and finally click “Continue”.
• Step 2: Point the domain to the intermediary Name Server hosting, the same way as in the first method above. Change the Name Server in the domain management area of your domain provider.
• Step 3: Confirm the process is complete. When you see the domain has been updated, your website is ready to go live.

Common mistakes when pointing a domain to hosting

Mixing up the pointing methods

The easiest way to tell them apart: when you point a domain to hosting via an IP address, the domain's Name Server stays fixed and cannot be changed. When you use the Name Server method, the Name Server is easy to change. The name of each method already says this.

Entering the wrong host IP address

This is the IP address of your hosting provider, not of your own computer or any other device. IP addresses are easy to misremember, so copy it directly from your hosting provider's email to avoid mistakes.

The host's domain doesn't match

Always remember that the domain you give must match the domain you want to point. If it doesn't, the system will report an error during the process. For example, if the website is built on WordPress, point the domain to WordPress first, then point the domain to the host.

Choosing the wrong record type when pointing via IP

Many beginners make this mistake: they fill in the wrong values in the record fields, which interrupts the pointing process.

A few record types to remember to avoid this: A – the domain's server, CNAME – redirects a domain within the same system DNS), MX – related to mail,…

Frequently asked questions about pointing a domain to hosting

Which way of pointing a domain to a host is fastest?

You can choose method 1 or method 2. Keep in mind that:

• When the domain and host are with the same provider, pointing the domain to hosting is faster and more efficient.
• If they are with different providers, point the domain to the host via IP, as it is the fastest.

Is pointing a domain to a host the same as creating an IP for the website?

Yes. The host holds an IP address, so once the domain points to the host, the host's IP address becomes your website's address, or your website's IP.

Above, Mona Media has covered 3 ways to point a domain to hosting via IP and Name Server, with the pros, cons and steps for each. Read through them and pick the one that suits you best!