How to manage DNS records in cPanel

DNS records tell the internet where your website, email and other services live. If your domain uses our nameservers, you manage these records in cPanel's Zone Editor.

Open the Zone Editor

In cPanel, open Zone Editor and select Manage next to your domain. You'll see every record, with buttons to add, edit and delete. If your domain uses another provider's nameservers, change the records there instead: changes in cPanel won't have any effect.

Record types

• A points a name to an IPv4 address, such as your server's IP address.
• AAAA points a name to an IPv6 address.
• CNAME points one name at another, such as www at your domain. A name with a CNAME can't have any other records.
• MX says which server receives mail for your domain. Lower numbers are tried first.
• TXT holds text, such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC, and verification codes from Google or Microsoft.
• NS lists the nameservers for your domain. Change these at your registrar, not here.
• SRV points a service, such as calendar or chat, to a server and port.

Common tasks

Point a subdomain to another server

Add an A record with the subdomain as the name, such as shop, and the other server's IP address.

Verify your domain for Google or Microsoft

Add the TXT record they give you, exactly as shown.

Use another email provider

Replace the MX records with the provider's, and update SPF to include them. See Email deliverability: SPF, DKIM and DMARC explained.

TTL

TTL (time to live) is how long, in seconds, other servers may keep a copy of a record. 3600 means one hour. Before a planned change, lower the TTL to 300 a day ahead, so the change takes effect quickly. Raise it again afterwards.

How long changes take

Changes in the Zone Editor take effect on our nameservers straight away. Other networks may keep the old record until its TTL runs out, usually within a few hours. Nameserver changes at your registrar can take up to 48 hours.

If a change doesn't seem to work

• Check that you edited the right domain and saved the record.
• Look the record up from outside with a DNS checker, or run nslookup or dig on a computer.
• Wait for the old TTL to run out.
• Check that your domain uses our nameservers. See How to point your domain to GHost Cloud.

Related guides

• How to point your domain to GHost Cloud
• Email deliverability: SPF, DKIM and DMARC explained
• How to install and manage SSL certificates