How do you point a domain name to a hosting account?

Obtain the DNS instructions from the hosting provider. It may ask you to change the domain’s nameservers or keep the current DNS provider and add specific records. Changing nameservers delegates the whole DNS zone, while adding records changes only the services you edit. Preserve email and verification records if they must continue working.

For a typical setup, the root domain uses an A or AAAA record pointing to the server address, and the www name uses either another address record or a CNAME. The hosting account must also be configured to recognize the domain and map it to the correct document root. DNS alone does not add the domain to the server.

Before making changes, save the complete existing DNS zone and lower the time to live if the provider allows it. Add the domain to hosting, upload the site, and prepare its SSL certificate. Then update the records and check them from several public DNS resolvers. Avoid changing nameservers and individual records at the same time unless the migration plan requires both.

DNS updates take time to reach cached resolvers. Keep the old hosting active during the transition and monitor both servers if possible. Test the website, HTTPS, mail delivery, and any subdomains after the change. Restore the original records from your saved copy if an essential service stops working.