How to Change Your Domain's A Record

What is an A record?

DNS is like a phone book for the internet. An A record is one line in that book. It connects a name, like example.com, to an IP address. An IP address is the number of a server, for example 203.0.113.10.

When you move your site to a new server, you change the A record to the new number. Then visitors reach the new place.

Before you start

• Get the new IP address from your new host. For Hostvento hosting, see your welcome email or ask support.
• Note down the old value. It lets you go back if something breaks.
• Check that your site files are already on the new server.
• Your DNS must be managed where you edit. If your nameservers point elsewhere, edits here will not matter.

Steps in cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel.
2. Open Zone Editor.

   

3. Click Manage next to your domain.

   

4. Find the row with type A and the name of your domain.
5. Click Edit on that row.
6. Replace the old IP address with the new one.
7. Click Save Record.

   

Repeat for www if it has its own A record. If www is a CNAME, it follows the main name by itself. A CNAME is an alias that points one name to another name.

Steps in the Hostvento client area

1. Log in at https://secure.hostvento.com/clientarea.php.
2. Open Domains and then My Domains.
3. Choose Manage Domain for your domain.
4. Open the DNS management page, if your plan shows one.
5. Edit the A record and save.

If you cannot find a DNS page, ask support.

Wait for it to spread

Each record has a TTL (time to live). It says how long others may remember the old value. Changes can take from minutes to some hours. To make it quicker, lower the TTL a day before the move.

Check it

1. Wait a while.
2. Open your site in a private window.
3. Clear your DNS cache if you still see the old site.

   

Quick recap

• An A record links your domain name to a server IP.
• Get the new IP and note the old one.
• Edit the A record in Zone Editor and save.

  

• Wait for DNS to spread, then test.