How to connect a domain you already own to your website

If you already own a domain, say from an old website or one you bought years ago, you can keep it and point it at your new website. You don't need to move or re-buy the domain. You change two settings where it's registered, and that's it. This guide explains what those settings are and how to change them safely.

What you're actually changing

Your domain has a small list of settings called DNS records. They tell the internet where to send people: one record for your website, others for your email. Connecting a new website means changing the website records only. Your email records stay exactly as they are.

• An A record for the bare domain, shown as @ or left blank, which points yourbusiness.ie at your website.
• A CNAME record for www, which makes www.yourbusiness.ie work too.
• MX records, which are for email. Leave these alone.

Step 1: find where your domain is managed

Log in to the company you bought the domain from, such as MyHost, Blacknight, Register365, LetsHost or GoDaddy. If you're not sure who that is, search your email for the domain name and words like renewal or invoice. In your account, open the domain and look for DNS settings, sometimes called Manage DNS, DNS records or Zone editor.

If your old website was built with Wix or Squarespace, the domain's settings may be managed inside that account. Look for the domain or DNS section there.

Step 2: change the two website records

Your website provider gives you the exact values. Edit the existing A record for @ (or create one) and set it to the address they give you. Then edit or add a CNAME record for www with the value they give you. If there's an old A record or CNAME for @ or www pointing somewhere else, change or remove it, or the two will compete.

Step 3: wait, then check

DNS changes usually work within an hour, but can take up to a day or two to reach everyone. Your new website should appear on your domain with a secure https padlock once the change has spread. If it hasn't worked after a day, check for typos in the values and for an old record still pointing elsewhere.

Will my email stop working?

Not if you only change the A and CNAME records for your website. Email is controlled by MX records, which you don't touch. If you use an email service that also asks for TXT records, leave those in place too.

Common mistakes

• Changing the nameservers instead of the records. That moves all your settings, including email, so only do it if your website provider asks you to.
• Leaving an old A record in place alongside the new one.
• Typing the full domain into the Name box when it only wants @ or www.
• Deleting MX records while tidying up, which stops your email.

With Sitefront, you type your domain into your dashboard and it shows the exact records to copy, tells you which company manages your domain, checks the connection for you and emails you the moment it's live. Need a domain first? Our domain name checker shows which .com names are free, and the yearly plan includes one free for the first year.