How to point your existing domain at a new website host
Moving your website to a new host? Here is how to point the domain you already own at it — DNS, SSL, and avoiding downtime — in plain English.
Keeping your existing domain when you move to a new host is normal and straightforward — you do not need to buy a new domain or change your branding. Here is how it works without the jargon.
You keep the domain you already own
Your domain (for example yourbusiness.co.uk) and your hosting are two separate things. Switching hosts does not mean giving up the domain — you simply point it at the new host. You stay the owner the whole time.
What pointing a domain actually means
- A domain has DNS records that tell browsers where the site lives.
- To move hosts, you update those records to point at the new host.
- The new host then serves your site at your existing domain.
Do not forget SSL
Your site needs an SSL certificate so it loads as https with the padlock. A good host issues and renews this automatically once your domain points at it — you should not have to manage certificates by hand.
Avoiding downtime
Set up the new site first, confirm it works, and only then point the domain. DNS changes propagate within minutes to a few hours, and because the new site is already live there is no gap where visitors hit a blank page.
How Duckling does it
After you publish, Duckling walks you through pointing your existing domain at us and handles the SSL certificate and setup for you. There is nothing extra to buy.