--- title: "How to Change Nameservers or Point a Domain | GlobalHostia" url: "https://globalhostia.com/guides/change-nameservers" description: "Point your domain to your hosting: change nameservers at your registrar, or set A, CNAME and MX records instead. Includes the checks to run before and after." source: "GlobalHostia; prices are synced from the billing system and exclude any taxes shown at checkout" --- Guide # How to point a domain or change nameservers Change nameservers, or keep your DNS and point A, CNAME and MX records instead, with the checks to run before and after. 6 minute read · Prices on this page are live from our billing system ## On this page 1. [Two ways to point a domain](#ways) 2. [Change nameservers step by step](#steps) 3. [Or point individual records](#records) 4. [Questions](#ln-faq-h) Rather ask a person? [WhatsApp our team](https://wa.me/971507341578?text=Hello%20GlobalHostia%2C%20I%20have%20a%20question%20about%20%22How%20to%20point%20a%20domain%20or%20change%20nameservers%22.) ## Two ways to point a domain You can hand the whole domain to our nameservers, or keep your current DNS provider and change only the records for the website (A or CNAME) and email (MX). Changing nameservers compared with editing DNS records | What changes | Change nameservers | Edit A/CNAME/MX records | | --- | --- | --- | | What changes | Who answers for all DNS records | Only the records you edit | | Where you edit DNS later | In our control panel or client area | At your current DNS provider | | Keeps email or other services elsewhere | Only if you add their records again | Yes, untouched | | Best for | Moving everything to us | Keeping DNS, a CDN or email where it is | ## Change nameservers step by step 1. ### Find your new DNS details Your hosting welcome email lists our nameservers and your server’s IP address. They are also in the client area under your hosting service. 2. ### Sign in where the domain is registered That is the company you pay for the domain renewal. If you are not sure, a WHOIS lookup of your domain shows the registrar. 3. ### Copy any records you still need If the old DNS has records for things that are not moving, such as email at another provider, write them down (MX, TXT, CNAME) so you can add them again. 4. ### Replace the nameservers Open the domain’s nameserver or DNS settings, choose custom nameservers, remove the old ones and enter ours exactly as written. Save. 5. ### Wait for DNS to update Most visitors see the change within a few hours; allow up to 48 hours everywhere. Keep the old hosting running until then. 6. ### Check the result Look up your domain with a DNS checker, or from a terminal: ` dig NS yourdomain.com +short dig A yourdomain.com +short ` ## Or point individual records At your current DNS provider, set: - **A record** for `@` (the bare domain) to your server IP. - **CNAME** for `www` to your bare domain, or an A record to the same IP. - **MX records** to your mail service, if email moves too. See the [business email guide](https://globalhostia.com/guides/business-email-setup). ` @ A 203.0.113.10 www CNAME yourdomain.com. @ MX 10 mail.yourdomain.com. ` Example values only. Use the IP address and mail server from your welcome email. ## More hosting guides - [How to move a website to Globalhostia](https://globalhostia.com/guides/move-website-to-hostia) - [How to set up business email on your domain](https://globalhostia.com/guides/business-email-setup) - [How to install WordPress](https://globalhostia.com/guides/install-wordpress) - [How to install an SSL certificate](https://globalhostia.com/guides/install-ssl) [All hosting guides](https://globalhostia.com/guides) **Price-lock**your renewal price never goes up **30-day money-back on shared hosting** - [**Free website migration**](https://globalhostia.com/free-migration) **24/7 engineers by ticket & WhatsApp** ## How to point a domain or change nameservers: questions ### Usually a few hours, and up to 48 hours for every network worldwide, because resolvers cache the old answer until it expires. ### ### ### ## Not sure which plan you need? Answer four questions and get a recommendation from our live plans, or let our engineers move your site for free. [Open the plan finder](https://globalhostia.com/plan-finder)[Free website migration](https://globalhostia.com/free-migration)