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How to Manage Your DNS Zone at WordPress.com

This guide shows you how to edit the DNS records of a domain that is registered at WordPress.com. You can use it to point the domain to your Hostvento hosting.

Domains and DNS2 min read9 steps

What is a DNS zone?

DNS is like a phone book for the internet. It turns a website name into a number that computers understand. A DNS zone is the page of that phone book that belongs to your domain.

The page holds records. An A record points your domain to a server address. A CNAME record points a name to another name. An MX record shows where your email goes. A TXT record holds a short note, such as proof of ownership.

WordPress.com is a hosted service. It is not the same as the free WordPress software. It can also register domains for you. Its screens can change, so look for similar words if a label differs.

Before you start

  • Log in to the WordPress.com account that owns the domain.
  • Find the new values in your Hostvento welcome email, or ask Hostvento support.
  • Save a copy of the current records. A wrong change can break your site or email.

Steps

  1. Log in to WordPress.com.
  2. Open Upgrades and then Domains. In newer layouts, look for Domains in the side menu.
  3. Click the domain you want to change.
  4. Choose DNS records or Name servers and DNS.
  5. Read the list and take a screenshot.
  6. Click Add record. Choose the type, such as A or CNAME.
  7. Type the name, the value and the TTL. TTL is the number of seconds others may remember the record.
  8. To change an old record, click it, then edit the value.
  9. Click Save.
Tip: WordPress.com may show default records that connect your domain to its own service. If you move your site to Hostvento, you may need to remove or replace them. Do this one record at a time.

Another option: nameservers

You can instead hand the whole zone to Hostvento by changing the nameservers. Nameservers are the computers that answer questions about your domain. Use the names from your welcome email. Then you manage records inside your Hostvento account.

Wait for propagation

Changes spread slowly across the internet. It can take minutes, or up to a day or more. Open a ticket at https://secure.hostvento.com/submitticket.php if the site still fails.

Quick recap

  • The DNS zone is the list of records for your domain.
  • Open Domains, pick your domain, then DNS records.
  • Back up the old records first.
  • Add or edit records and save.
  • Give the change time to spread.