Domains and DNS
A domain name is only useful once DNS tells the internet where to send visitors and email. These guides explain the records involved and how to change them safely.
Guides in this topic
- DNS records explained
What A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS, CAA and SRV records do, how to read a record, and the rules that prevent common DNS mistakes.
- Nameservers explained
What nameservers do, how they differ from your registrar, how to look up a domain's nameservers and when to change them instead of editing records.
- Connect a domain to a website
Point your domain at your website with nameservers or with DNS records, choose the right method, and check that the connection works.
- Why DNS changes take time
What DNS propagation really is, how TTL controls it, why nameserver changes take longer, and how to plan a change so it lands quickly.
- Subdomains
What a subdomain is, how to create one with an A or CNAME record, how to point it to another service and how SSL certificates cover it.
- Transfer a domain
How moving a domain between registrars works, what to prepare, how to keep your website and email running, and why transfers fail.
- Domain privacy and lock
What WHOIS and RDAP show about your domain, what privacy protection hides, and how a domain lock and a registry lock protect it from transfers.
- Renewals and expiry
How domain registration periods and auto-renew work, what happens when a domain expires, and how to avoid losing a domain you rely on.