To point your domain to a new web host, either change the domain's nameservers at your registrar to the ones your new host gives you, or keep your current DNS provider and point the @ and www records at the new server. Lower the TTL first, copy your email records, and keep the old hosting live until traffic has moved.
The rest of this guide walks through both methods step by step, explains how long the change takes, and shows how to avoid the two classic mistakes: downtime and broken email.
Key takeaways
- Either change the nameservers at your registrar or keep your DNS provider and point the @ and www records at the new server.
- If email runs on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, changing only the website records is usually safer because MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC stay untouched.
- Lower the TTL to 300 seconds at least one full TTL period before the move so the change takes effect within minutes.
- Keep the old hosting live for at least a week after the switch so visitors and email servers with cached answers still get a working response.
Should I change nameservers or just the A record?
This is the first decision, and it depends on who you want to manage your DNS.
| Change nameservers | Change A/CNAME records only | |
|---|---|---|
| What moves | Your whole DNS zone moves to the new host | Only the website records change |
| Email records | Must be recreated at the new host | Stay exactly as they are |
| Effort | Low if the host pre-fills records, high if you have lots of records | Low: two or three edits |
| Typical propagation | Up to 24–48 hours (nameserver records at the registry are cached for longer) | Follows your record TTL, often minutes to an hour |
| Best for | Simple sites, hosts that bundle email, or moving DNS to a better provider | Businesses using Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, or with many existing records |
If your email runs on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, changing only the website records is usually the safer option. You leave MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC untouched, so nothing can go missing in the move.
What do I need before I start?
Gather these before touching anything:
- Login to your domain registrar (where you pay for the domain, for example a .uk registrar or a .com registrar).
- Login to your current DNS provider, which might be the registrar, your old host or a service such as Cloudflare. Running the free MakeItFlow DNS lookup on your domain's NS records tells you which.
- The new host's details: either their nameservers (such as
ns1.newhost.com) or the server IP address and any CNAME target they want you to use. - A copy of your current DNS zone. Export it, or screenshot every record. This is your safety net.
- The site already running on the new host. Upload files and the database first, then test using the host's temporary URL or by editing your computer's hosts file.
How do I point my domain to a new host step by step?
Step 1: Lower the TTL a day ahead
TTL (time to live) tells resolvers how long they may cache a record. If your A record has a TTL of 86400 seconds (24 hours), some visitors will keep reaching the old server for up to a day after you change it. At least one full TTL period before the move, drop the TTL on the records you will change to 300 seconds (5 minutes).
; before the move
example.com. 300 IN A 203.0.113.10
www.example.com. 300 IN CNAME example.com.
Step 2: Migrate and test the site
Copy files and the database to the new host. Test every important page, form and checkout on the new server before any visitor sees it. Install the SSL certificate on the new host now if it supports issuing one before DNS moves; otherwise plan for a short window after the switch while it issues.
Step 3a: Option one, update the website records
At your current DNS provider, change the records that point to the website:
; after the move
example.com. 300 IN A 198.51.100.25
example.com. 300 IN AAAA 2001:db8::25
www.example.com. 300 IN CNAME example.com.
If the new host does not support IPv6, delete any old AAAA record rather than leaving it pointing to the old server. A stale AAAA record is a common reason a site "works for me but not for my colleague".
Step 3b: Option two, change the nameservers
If you are moving DNS as well, first recreate every record from your exported zone at the new host: MX, TXT (SPF, DMARC, verification codes), DKIM CNAMEs or TXT records, and any subdomains. Only then go to your registrar and replace the nameservers with the new host's ones. For .uk domains this is done at your registrar, which updates Nominet.
Step 4: Check the change from outside your network
Use a DNS lookup tool rather than your own browser, which may be caching. Check the A, AAAA, CNAME and MX records, and query a public resolver directly:
dig +short example.com A @1.1.1.1
dig +short example.com MX @8.8.8.8
Step 5: Keep the old hosting for a few days
Do not cancel the old plan the moment DNS changes. Keep it for at least a week so any visitor or email server with a cached answer still gets a working response, and so you can roll back. Once everything is stable, raise the TTL back to something like 3600 seconds.
How long does it take for a domain to point to a new host?
Record changes with a 300-second TTL usually take effect for most people within minutes. Nameserver changes take longer because the delegation records at the registry and the old NS records are cached, so allow up to 24–48 hours. Our guide to DNS propagation explains why different people see different results during that window.
Will changing hosts break my email?
It can, and this is the most expensive mistake people make. Email depends on MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records, not on where your website is hosted. If you change nameservers and the new zone is missing your MX records, inbound mail stops. If SPF or DKIM records are missing, outbound mail starts landing in spam.
After the move, check the essentials:
- MX records still point to your email provider.
- SPF still includes your email platform. Our SPF checker shows the published record and lookup count.
- DKIM selectors still resolve and DMARC is still published.
See why emails go to spam if messages start bouncing or being filtered after a migration.
What about SSL after pointing the domain?
Most hosts issue a free Let's Encrypt certificate automatically, but only once the domain resolves to their server, because the certificate authority has to validate control of the domain. Expect a short window where visitors may see a certificate warning if you could not issue in advance. If you have a CAA record, make sure it permits your new host's certificate authority, or issuance will fail. Our article on CAA records shows the syntax.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to transfer my domain to point it to a new host?
No. Transferring a domain changes which registrar you pay; pointing it changes where it sends visitors. You can keep the domain at one company and host the site at another indefinitely, and many businesses deliberately keep them separate.
Why does my site still show the old host on my phone?
Your phone, broadband router or mobile network may be using a cached answer. Try mobile data instead of Wi-Fi, or wait for the old TTL to expire. If a public DNS lookup shows the new IP, the change has worked and caches will catch up.
Should the www version use an A record or a CNAME?
Either works. A CNAME pointing www to the apex (or to a hostname the host gives you) means you only update one IP address in future. The bare domain must use an A or AAAA record, or your DNS provider's ALIAS or flattening feature.
Can I point just one subdomain to a new host?
Yes. Add or change the record for that subdomain only, such as shop or blog, and leave the rest of the zone alone. This is how many businesses run a shop or booking system on a separate platform.
What if my registrar has locked the DNS settings?
Some registrars lock DNS changes if the domain is close to expiry or if a transfer lock is set. Check the domain is paid up, remove any registrar lock from the control panel, or contact the registrar's support team.
What to do next
Once the site is live on the new host, check that nothing quietly broke: DNS, email authentication, SSL, redirects and page speed. MakeItFlow runs all of these in one scan, so you can run a free website audit straight after the switch and again a week later. For DNS specifically, the DNS health check also reviews DNSSEC and CAA, which are easy to lose when you change nameservers.
Related reading
- Is My Website Down or Just Me? How to Tell in 5 Minutes: Work out whether your website is down for everyone or only for you, find the broken layer (DNS, hosting, SSL, CDN or your own network) and know who to call.
Sources
Written by the MakeItFlow team
We build the website audit these guides are based on. Every fact is checked against the primary sources listed above and this guide was last reviewed on 25 October 2026 . How we research and check
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