Custom domain

Every OpenHost site can be reached via a custom domain you own. This guide covers connecting it, DNS basics, and fixing common issues.

Before you start

• A domain registered at any registrar (Namecheap, GoDaddy, Spaceship, Cloudflare, etc.)
• Access to the domain's DNS settings
• An active OpenHost hosting plan with a site created

How DNS works (quick version)

When someone visits yourdomain.com:

1. Their device asks a DNS resolver "where is this domain?"
2. The resolver queries your domain's authoritative nameservers
3. The nameserver returns an IP address (A record) or alias (CNAME)
4. The browser connects to that IP and loads your site

Your job: point your domain's DNS at OpenHost so visitors reach your server.

Option A: Move nameservers to Cloudflare (recommended)

This gives you one dashboard for DNS, SSL, caching, and security rules.

1. Create a Cloudflare account

   Go to cloudflare.com, sign up (free plan is fine), and add your domain.

2. Change nameservers at your registrar

   Cloudflare gives you two nameserver addresses (e.g. anna.ns.cloudflare.com). Log into your registrar and replace the existing nameservers with these.

3. Add DNS records in Cloudflare

   Type	Name	Content	Proxy
   A	@	Your server IP (shown in panel)	Proxied (orange cloud)
   CNAME	www	yourdomain.com	Proxied

4. Assign domain in your panel

   Control panel → Websites → your site → Domains → Add domain. Enter yourdomain.com.

5. Wait for propagation

   Nameserver changes take up to 24 hours to propagate globally. Most complete within 1–4 hours. SSL is issued automatically once DNS resolves.

Option B: Point records only (keep current DNS)

If you want to keep your existing DNS provider:

1. Add an A record

   At your DNS provider, add:

   Type	Name	Value
   A	@	Your server IP (shown in panel)
   A or CNAME	www	Same IP, or CNAME to @

2. Assign domain in panel

   Same as above — add the domain in your control panel.

3. SSL

   Once the domain resolves to OpenHost, an SSL certificate is issued automatically within minutes.

Subdomains

Create unlimited subdomains (e.g. blog.yourdomain.com, shop.yourdomain.com):

1. Add a DNS record for the subdomain (A or CNAME pointing to your server)
2. In the panel: Websites → Create website with the subdomain as hostname
3. Each subdomain gets its own SSL certificate

Email records (MX, SPF, DKIM)

If you host email on OpenHost, the panel shows the correct MX/SPF/DKIM records to add.

Propagation and TTL

TTL (Time to Live) tells DNS resolvers how long to cache a record:

Before a migration:

1. Lower TTL to 300 at least 24 hours before the change
2. Make the DNS change
3. After propagation confirms, raise TTL back to 3600+

Troubleshooting

Checking DNS with dig

# Check A record
dig +short yourdomain.com A
 
# Check who the nameservers are
dig yourdomain.com NS
 
# Check from a specific resolver (bypass cache)
dig @8.8.8.8 yourdomain.com A

Or use dnschecker.org to see propagation across 100+ global resolvers.

Best practices

• Don't use CNAME at the root (@) unless your provider supports CNAME flattening (Cloudflare does)
• Keep MX records when changing nameservers — email breaks if you forget
• Lower TTL before migration so old IPs don't stick for days
• Use Cloudflare proxy for DDoS protection and performance (orange cloud)
• Test from mobile data after DNS changes — it bypasses your local DNS cache

Related docs

• SSL certificates
• Migrate from cPanel
• FAQ