How do I change my DNS records?
Pick your host or registrar and get the exact clicks — where the DNS editor hides, how to add an A, CNAME, MX or TXT record, and the gotchas that catch people out.
123 Reg
Large UK registrar and host.
Web hostA2 Hosting
cPanel-based host; DNS is edited in cPanel or the client area.
Cloud / DNS platformAkamai / Linode
Free DNS Manager included with a Linode account.
Cloud / DNS platformAmazon Route 53
AWS DNS service. Also a registrar. Charged per hosted zone and per query.
Cloud / DNS platformAzure DNS
Microsoft's managed DNS, configured through the Azure portal.
Web hostBluehost
WordPress-focused shared host, part of Newfold Digital.
Cloud / DNS platformCloudflare
Free, fast DNS with an optional proxy/CDN layer. Very common as a DNS host even when the domain is registered elsewhere.
Web hostcPanel (generic)
Hundreds of hosts use cPanel. If your host gave you a cPanel login, these steps apply regardless of the brand.
Cloud / DNS platformDigitalOcean
Free DNS hosting for domains you point at DigitalOcean. Not a registrar.
RegistrarDomain.com
Newfold-owned registrar with a familiar Bluehost-style panel.
Web hostDreamHost
Long-running independent host and registrar.
RegistrarDynadot
Registrar popular with domain investors.
RegistrarEnom
Tucows-owned registrar, widely used as a reseller back end.
Web hostFasthosts
UK host and registrar with its own control panel.
RegistrarGandi
French registrar with LiveDNS and a full text-mode zone editor.
RegistrarGoDaddy
The largest registrar in the world. DNS lives in the "Domain Portfolio" area.
Cloud / DNS platformGoogle Cloud DNS
Google Cloud's authoritative DNS. Note: consumer Google Domains was sold to Squarespace.
Web hostGreenGeeks
Eco-branded cPanel host.
Web hostHostGator
Shared host, also part of Newfold Digital. DNS is edited in the customer portal or cPanel.
Web hostHostinger
Budget host with its own control panel, hPanel.
RegistrarHover
Tucows-owned registrar with a deliberately simple interface.
Web hostInMotion Hosting
US host with cPanel and its own Account Management Panel (AMP).
Web hostIONOS (1&1)
Large European host and registrar, formerly 1&1.
Web hostKinsta
Managed WordPress host with optional free DNS hosting (Kinsta DNS, powered by Amazon Route 53).
Web hostKrystal
UK host running cPanel, with its own client area for domains.
RegistrarName.com
US registrar with a straightforward DNS editor.
RegistrarNamecheap
Popular budget registrar. Their free DNS is called BasicDNS.
RegistrarNameSilo
Cheap registrar with free WHOIS privacy.
Cloud / DNS platformNetlify
Static hosting platform with optional Netlify DNS.
RegistrarNetwork Solutions
One of the oldest registrars. The interface is dated but the concepts are the same.
Web hostOVHcloud
European cloud provider, host and registrar.
Web hostPlesk (generic)
The other common hosting control panel, especially on Windows and VPS hosting.
RegistrarPorkbun
Low-cost registrar with free WHOIS privacy and a clean DNS editor.
RegistrarRegister.com
Long-established registrar, now under the same ownership as Network Solutions.
Website builderShopify
E-commerce platform; sells domains and manages their DNS in the store admin.
Web hostSiteGround
Performance-focused shared host with a custom Site Tools panel.
Website builderSquarespace Domains
Took over the former Google Domains customer base in 2023.
Cloud / DNS platformVercel
Frontend hosting platform that also sells domains and runs DNS.
Website builderWix
Website builder that also sells domains and hosts DNS.
Website builderWordPress.com
Automattic's hosted WordPress, which also registers domains.
Web hostWP Engine
Managed WordPress host. It does not register domains; you point DNS at it.
No provider matched. The record type reference and the generic cPanel guide cover most panels anyway.
Need a domain first?
Check whether a name is free, see who holds it if it isn't, and compare places to buy it.
Open the domain search →Not sure what record you need?
A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, SPF, DKIM, SRV, NS, CAA — what each one does, in one page.
Record type reference →The 60-second version
- Find out who runs your DNS. It is whoever your nameservers point at — which is often, but not always, your registrar. Check with our who-runs-my-DNS check.
- Log in there and find the DNS / Zone editor. Every provider buries it somewhere slightly different.
- Add or edit the record. Use
@for the bare domain and just the label (www,mail) for subdomains — not the full domain name. - Wait for the TTL. Changes take as long as the old record's TTL to disappear from caches. Lower the TTL a day before a planned move.