# How to point your domain to your hosting

> Point a domain bought anywhere — GoDaddy, BigRock, Hostinger, Namecheap — at your hosting by changing nameservers. With propagation times and how to check.

Source: https://www.fasterhost.in/kb/point-your-domain-to-hosting.php · Getting started · 5 min read · updated 22 September 2026

Buying a domain and buying hosting are two separate purchases, often from two different companies. Connecting them means telling the domain which server answers for it. There are two ways to do that, and picking the right one saves a lot of confusion later.

## Steps

### 1. Decide: nameservers or A record

**Change the nameservers** if you want your host to manage all DNS for the domain. This is the simpler option and the right one for most people — email, subdomains and SSL all follow automatically.

**Change just the A record** if you need DNS to stay where it is — commonly because email is on Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 and you would rather not move those records.

### 2. Find your nameservers

They are in your welcome email and in the client area. They look like:

```
ns1.fasterhost.in
ns2.fasterhost.in
```

If you are taking the A-record route instead, what you need is the server IP, listed in cPanel under **General Information** in the right sidebar.

### 3. Change them at your registrar

This happens where you *bought* the domain, not in cPanel. The menu is named differently everywhere but the path is always similar:

- **GoDaddy** — My Products → Domains → DNS → Nameservers → Change → "I'll use my own nameservers"
- **BigRock / ResellerClub** — Manage Orders → the domain → Nameservers
- **Namecheap** — Domain List → Manage → Nameservers → Custom DNS
- **Hostinger** — Domains → Manage → DNS / Nameservers → Change nameservers

Replace *both* existing entries. Leaving an old nameserver in place gives you a site that loads intermittently — the worst kind of broken, because it looks fine half the time you check.

### 4. Wait, then verify

Nameserver changes propagate in 30 minutes to 4 hours typically, up to 24–48 hours at the outside. Indian ISPs are usually quick; some cache aggressively.

Check it properly rather than by reloading the page — your browser and your ISP both cache:

```
dig example.in NS +short
dig example.in A +short
```

When the NS answer shows your host's nameservers and the A record shows your server IP, it is done. Only then run AutoSSL.

## Do not break your email

The most expensive mistake in this whole process. Changing nameservers moves *all* DNS, including your MX records — so if your email is on Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 and you change nameservers without recreating the MX records at the new host, mail stops arriving. Not bounces you notice. Silence.

Before you switch, write down your existing MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records. After the switch, recreate them in cPanel under **Zone Editor**. Or take the A-record route and leave DNS where it is.

## Moving a live site with no downtime

If the domain already serves a live site elsewhere, do it in this order:

- Copy the site to the new host first and test it there.
- Lower the TTL on the existing DNS records to 300 seconds, a day ahead.
- Then change the nameservers or A record.
- Leave the old hosting running for a week — some visitors will still resolve to it.

Our migration team does this for free on every plan, including the TTL reduction and the week of overlap.

## Common questions

**Can I keep my domain where I bought it?**

Yes. You never have to transfer a domain to host with us — pointing the nameservers is enough, and the domain stays in your registrar account with your billing.

**How long does propagation actually take?**

Usually 30 minutes to 4 hours. The often-quoted 48 hours is a worst case that mostly applies to aggressive ISP caching, not to the change itself.

**Why does my site work on mobile data but not on WiFi?**

Classic mid-propagation symptom: your mobile network has picked up the new DNS and your broadband ISP has not. It resolves itself.

**Will changing nameservers affect my email?**

Yes, if your email is hosted elsewhere. Nameservers control MX records too, so recreate them at the new host before switching, or change only the A record.

## Related

- [How to install a free SSL certificate](https://www.fasterhost.in/kb/install-a-free-ssl-certificate.php)
- [How to migrate a WordPress site](https://www.fasterhost.in/kb/migrate-a-wordpress-site.php)
- [Shared Hosting](https://www.fasterhost.in/shared-hosting.php): Fast, affordable hosting for your first site
- [WordPress Hosting](https://www.fasterhost.in/wordpress-hosting.php): Managed WordPress that flies
- [cPanel Hosting](https://www.fasterhost.in/cpanel-hosting.php): cPanel on LiteSpeed and NVMe, served from India