Domains and DNS
Manage domains, subdomains, DNS records, and understand how traffic reaches your OpenHost site.
Every OpenHost site can be reached via one or more custom domains. This page covers domain management within the panel — for the full DNS setup walkthrough, see the Custom domain guide.
Adding a domain
Point DNS first
At your DNS provider (Cloudflare, registrar, etc.), add an A record pointing to your server IP (shown in Panel → Websites → your site → Connection info).
Add in panel
Panel → Websites → your site → Domains → Add domain. Enter the fully qualified domain (e.g.
yourdomain.comorshop.yourdomain.com).SSL issues automatically
Once DNS resolves to your server, a certificate is issued within minutes. No manual steps needed.
Multiple domains on one site
You can add multiple domains to a single site:
yourdomain.comandwww.yourdomain.comolddomain.com(redirect to primary)shop.yourdomain.com(separate subdomain, same or different site)
Set one as the primary domain — others redirect to it (configurable).
Subdomains
Create unlimited subdomains:
| Subdomain | Use case |
|---|---|
www.yourdomain.com | Main site (alternative to bare domain) |
blog.yourdomain.com | Separate blog instance |
shop.yourdomain.com | WooCommerce store |
api.yourdomain.com | API backend |
staging.yourdomain.com | Testing/staging environment |
Each subdomain can be its own website in the panel with independent settings, or an alias to an existing site.
DNS records explained
| Record type | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | Points domain to an IPv4 address | yourdomain.com → 1.2.3.4 |
| AAAA | Points domain to an IPv6 address | Same, for IPv6 |
| CNAME | Alias one hostname to another | www → yourdomain.com |
| MX | Routes email to a mail server | Priority 10 → mail.provider.com |
| TXT | Arbitrary text (SPF, DKIM, verification) | v=spf1 include:... |
| SRV | Service discovery (rare for web hosting) | Used by some apps (Minecraft, SIP) |
Email DNS (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
If your domain sends or receives email, these records are essential:
MX (receiving email)
Points your domain's incoming mail at a mail server. If you use OpenHost email, the panel shows the correct MX values. If you use external email (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365), keep their MX records.
SPF (who can send)
A TXT record listing servers authorized to send email for your domain:
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:send.resend.com ~all
DKIM (message signing)
A TXT or CNAME record containing a public key. Your SMTP provider gives you the exact record to add.
DMARC (enforcement policy)
Tells receivers what to do when SPF/DKIM fail:
v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com
Start with p=none (monitoring only) and move to quarantine or reject after confirming reports are clean.
Propagation
DNS changes propagate at different speeds:
| Change type | Typical time |
|---|---|
| A/CNAME record (low TTL) | Minutes to 1 hour |
| Nameserver change | 1–24 hours |
| New TXT record | Minutes to 1 hour |
Tip: Lower TTL to 300 before making changes. This ensures the old value expires quickly from resolver caches.
Domain redirects
To redirect one domain to another (e.g. old domain → new domain):
- Add both domains in the panel
- Set the primary domain
- Configure the secondary as a 301 redirect to primary
This preserves SEO value from the old domain.
Wildcard domains
Wildcard certificates and domains (*.yourdomain.com) are not issued automatically. Contact support if you need wildcard coverage — we can configure it manually for specific use cases.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| Domain shows wrong site | Check A record IP matches your server; clear browser cache |
| SSL not issuing | DNS not resolving to OpenHost yet; check with dig |
| MX broken after DNS change | Re-add MX records at new DNS provider |
| Subdomain not working | Add both DNS record AND site/domain in panel |
Related docs
- Custom domain guide — step-by-step DNS setup
- SSL certificates — how HTTPS works
- Common issues — DNS troubleshooting