How to Point a Domain to a Hosting Provider — DNS Basics

You have two clean ways to point a domain to a hosting provider in 2026: change your nameservers to your host's, or keep your nameservers and set A/CNAME records. The right choice depends on what your host requires.

Method 1: Nameserver delegation (host controls DNS)

When you change your nameservers to your host's, you're saying "manage all DNS for this domain at the host." Your host then handles A records, MX records, SSL certificates, subdomains.

When to use it:

• cPanel-style shared hosting (Hostinger, BigRock, GoDaddy hosting)
• WordPress hosts that want to manage DNS for plugins
• Hosts that bundle email + DNS + hosting in one panel
• You don't want to think about DNS

How:

1. At your registrar (REXO HOST: My Domains → Change nameservers), enter your host's nameservers (they'll give you 2-4 like ns1.yourhost.com, ns2.yourhost.com)
2. Wait 1-4 hours for propagation
3. Set up your site in your host's panel — they handle the DNS

Tradeoff: you lose granular control. Email forwarding, custom subdomains, third-party services that need DNS records all have to go through your host's UI.

Method 2: A/CNAME records (you control DNS)

You keep your registrar (or Cloudflare) as your DNS provider and just point specific records at your host's IP or hostname.

When to use it:

• Vercel, Netlify, AWS Amplify, GitHub Pages — hosts that give you a CNAME target like cname.vercel-dns.com
• Custom VPS / dedicated server with a static IP
• You want different services on different subdomains (mail.yourdomain.com → Google Workspace, app.yourdomain.com → Vercel)
• You're using Cloudflare for CDN and want to keep DNS centralized

How:

For a host that gives you a CNAME (Vercel, Netlify):

1. At your DNS provider, add a CNAME record: www.yourdomain.com → cname.vercel-dns.com
2. For the apex domain (yourdomain.com without www): some DNS providers support ALIAS or ANAME records (Cloudflare, Route 53). If yours doesn't, use A records pointing to the IPs your host provides.

For a host that gives you an IP (custom VPS):

1. Add an A record: @ → 203.0.113.42
2. Optionally add a www record: www → CNAME @

Tradeoff: you have to manage DNS yourself; if you want SSL, your host needs to handle cert issuance (most modern PaaS do this automatically once DNS resolves).

Quick decision tree

Is your host Vercel / Netlify / AWS Amplify / GitHub Pages?
└─ Use A/CNAME records (Method 2). Their docs give you the exact target.

Is your host cPanel-based (Hostinger, BigRock, GoDaddy hosting)?
└─ Use nameserver delegation (Method 1). Easier, host handles SSL.

Are you on Cloudflare for CDN already?
└─ Cloudflare IS your DNS — just add A/CNAME records there pointing at your host.

Custom VPS with a static IP?
└─ Either method works. A records are simpler.

What about the apex (root) domain?

The apex domain — acme.com without www — is the trickiest part. The DNS spec says you can't have a CNAME on the apex, only an A record (an IP address).

Solutions:

• CNAME flattening / ALIAS records: Cloudflare, Route 53, DNSimple, NS1 all support this — they let you point the apex to a hostname and resolve it to an IP at query time
• A records: ask your host for the static IPs; usually 2-4 of them
• www-only sites: some sites just live at www.acme.com and 301-redirect the apex (Vercel does this automatically)

Common mistakes

Setting BOTH nameservers AND A records at the registrar
Once you change nameservers, the registrar's DNS records are ignored. Don't waste time setting both.

Forgetting the www CNAME
Visitors type www.acme.com more than acme.com. Both should resolve. Add the www record explicitly or use a host that handles it.

Mixing email and web on different DNS providers
If your domain's nameservers point to Host A but you set MX records at Host B, only Host A's MX records take effect. All DNS records have to be at whichever provider holds the nameservers.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the change take to go live?

A/CNAME record changes propagate in minutes to a few hours (depending on TTL). Full nameserver changes take up to 48 hours but usually under 4. Use whatsmydns.net to monitor.

Can I have my domain at REXO HOST but use Cloudflare for DNS?

Yes — this is the cleanest setup. Register at REXO HOST, point nameservers to Cloudflare's (amber.ns.cloudflare.com + kai.ns.cloudflare.com), manage all DNS in Cloudflare's free tier. You get our honest pricing AND Cloudflare's CDN + DDoS protection.

What if I don't have hosting yet?

Park the domain — leave the default registrar nameservers in place. The site won't load (or shows a registrar landing page), which is fine. When you get hosting, follow either method above.

How do I move from Method 1 to Method 2 later?

Switch nameservers from the host back to your registrar (or Cloudflare), then add A/CNAME records pointing back to the host. Brief downtime possible during the swap; lower your TTL first. Full nameserver-change guide.

Get a domain ready to point

Search at REXO HOST — once registered, the My Domains panel lets you set nameservers OR add A/CNAME records, your choice.