You can use a domain registered with another company for a website hosted with us. Domain registration and website hosting are separate services, so connecting a domain does not necessarily require transferring its registration. You must control the domain and have access to the place where its nameservers or authoritative DNS records are managed.
IN THIS ARTICLE
01 Prepare your service and authoritative DNS records
- First, add the domain to the correct Web Hosting service and obtain the connection details provided for that account.
- You can then follow the supplied nameserver instructions or update the relevant website records at your existing DNS provider.
- Use the actual values assigned to your service.
Do not copy another customer's IP address or assume a generic nameserver value from an old article is still correct.
The authoritative DNS provider is the place whose records are used publicly for the domain. If your nameservers point to an external DNS service, editing a local zone in cPanel alone will not update the records visitors use. Make the website changes at the authoritative provider, and preserve existing mail records, domain verification records and any other services that must continue working. If DNSSEC is enabled, coordinate changes with the DNS provider so that the domain's validation remains consistent.
02 Verify the website, HTTPS and email after the change
After saving, check the domain's public resolution, load the website, verify HTTPS and test email. Cached DNS answers can continue to be used until they expire, so a change may appear at different times on different networks. We cannot promise one exact propagation time for every resolver. Keep renewing the domain with its current registrar unless you separately transfer it, because hosting renewal does not renew an externally registered domain. If you need help, provide the domain and current DNS provider rather than sharing your registrar password.
Where should I change DNS for an externally registered domain?
- Find the domain's currently delegated nameservers and the DNS provider responsible for its public records.
- Apply the account's assigned connection details at that provider, preserving email and verification records.
- Check both IPv4 and IPv6 records if present, then verify the website, HTTPS and email after cached answers expire.
An old AAAA record can send some visitors to another server even when the A record looks correct. If changing nameservers with DNSSEC enabled, coordinate the delegation and DS record so valid DNS answers are not rejected. Do not guess server addresses from another customer's setup.