Compare public DNS records with provider instructions and keep website routing separate from email configuration.
You connect a domain to a website, but it still points somewhere else. A DNS lookup helps compare the published records with the values your hosting provider requested.
Identify the record you need
A and AAAA records relate names to IP addresses. A CNAME points to another name. MX records concern mail routing, while TXT records support verification and other purposes. Cloudflare's record reference explains the types in more detail.
Do not copy arbitrary values from a tutorial. The correct destination depends on your provider and account.
Compare the public result
- Keep the provider's setup instructions available.
- Open the DNS lookup.
- Enter the hostname being connected.
- Compare the relevant type and value.
- Check the exact subdomain as well as the root where applicable.
The root domain and www may need different configuration. A result for one does not prove that the other is correct.
Separate DNS from hosting
Correct records do not establish that the server has the right site configured or that its certificate is ready. If the record is correct but the wrong page appears, inspect hosting and the HTTP response next.
Caching affects when changes become visible from different resolvers. Avoid repeated contradictory edits because one lookup still shows an earlier value. Record what changed and compare with the provider's guidance.
Keep email records intact unless you are deliberately moving mail service. Connecting a website and changing email are different tasks; a website-only change should not accidentally disconnect the mailbox.
Try the lookup, then read the header guide. Create a r37dy account if you need managed links and want to check the domain options on your plan.