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How do I connect my domain to my site?

Straight answer

You connect a domain by adding DNS records at your registrar that point it to your host. In your host's dashboard, add your custom domain; it gives you the exact records to enter. Copy them into your registrar's DNS settings, save, and wait: the change can take minutes or up to a day.

Information current as at 5 July 2026

This is the single step that stalls more launches than any other, and almost always for the same reason: people expect it to be instant and it is not. Once you understand what the records do and that spreading takes time, the panic goes away.

Plain English
DNS
The internet's address book, which turns your domain into the server address it points to.
A record
A DNS entry that points your domain straight at a numeric server address.
CNAME
A DNS entry that points your domain at another name, like your host's address.
Propagation
The delay while a DNS change spreads to servers around the world.

Step by step

  1. Add the domain in your host first, not your registrarStart inside the host that runs your site (for example Vercel, Netlify or Cloudflare Pages). Find "custom domain" or "add domain" and type in the domain you bought. The host will then show you the exact DNS records it needs. Doing this first matters, because the host tells you precisely what to enter, so you are copying real values rather than guessing.
  2. Open your registrar's DNS settingsLog in to wherever you bought the domain and find the DNS or "manage DNS" area. You will see a list of records. This is your domain's address book, and it is the one place that decides where your domain sends people. If the domain is brand new it may have a couple of placeholder records you can safely replace with the ones your host gave you.
  3. Enter the records exactly as givenAdd each record the host asked for, matching the type (A or CNAME), the name (often @ for the root or www for the www version) and the value character for character. A common setup is an A record on @ pointing to an IP, plus a CNAME on www pointing to your host. Precision matters here: one wrong character and it silently will not work.
  4. Save, then wait without touching itSave your changes and step away. DNS propagation means the update has to reach servers worldwide, which usually takes minutes but can take up to 24 hours. The mistake people make is assuming it failed after five minutes and changing things, which restarts the clock. Add the records once, correctly, then leave them alone.
  5. Verify from a device that has never seen the siteOnce the host shows the domain as connected and HTTPS as active, check it on your phone over mobile data. Your home network may cache the old answer, so a fresh device gives you the truth. If it loads with a padlock, the connection is done and your domain is officially pointing at your site.
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Show us what you built.

If you have made something and it needs to become real, send it over. We will tell you honestly what it needs to be live, safe and yours, whether that is a quick fix you can do or a proper build. No obligation.

Common questions

Questions, answered

How long does it take for my domain to work after I connect it?
Usually a few minutes to a couple of hours, occasionally up to 24. This delay, called propagation, is normal and not a sign anything is broken. Enter the records correctly once and resist the urge to keep changing them while you wait.
What is the difference between an A record and a CNAME?
An A record points your domain at a numeric server address. A CNAME points it at another name, like your host's address, and lets that host manage the number behind the scenes. Your host tells you which to use, so you rarely have to decide.
Do I need the www version and the plain version to both work?
Yes, ideally. Most hosts let you add both yourbusiness.com.au and www.yourbusiness.com.au and redirect one to the other, so visitors reach you either way. Set up whichever your host recommends as the primary, and point the other at it.
It still is not working after a day, now what?
Recheck that every record matches your host's instructions exactly, that you edited the right domain, and that there are no leftover old records fighting the new ones. If two records of the same type conflict, remove the wrong one. Most stubborn cases are a typo or a duplicate.
Keep reading
What is DNS, and why is my site not working? →What is a domain and do I need one? →Do I need SSL, and what is it? →The fortress websites system →All playbook articles →
No pressure
Show us what you built.

If you have made something and it needs to become real, send it over. We will tell you honestly what it needs to be live, safe and yours, whether that is a quick fix you can do or a proper build. No obligation.

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