This guide keeps the domain where it is and points it at your hosting. If you would rather move the domain to hosting.com completely, follow Transfer a domain to hosting.com instead.

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Before you start

• You can log in to the registrar where the domain is currently registered.
• You have an active hosting.com hosting plan.
• If the domain is currently serving a live site elsewhere, you understand that

visitors may temporarily see the old or new site while DNS changes propagate.

• If the domain is used for email, make sure you know where the mailboxes are

hosted before changing the nameservers.

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Steps

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Add the domain to your hosting account first

Do this before you change anything at the registrar. The domain must be added to your hosting account before its nameservers point to hosting.com.

1. Go to https://my.hosting.com and log in.
2. In the left sidebar of the control panel, click Websites.

3. On the Manage websites page, click Add website

4. Select if you want to start from scratch or install a CMS

5. In the Domain box, type your domain. Use example.com — no http:// and no www.
6. Click Continue and review your website before you hit the Create website button

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Find your nameservers

1. In the Hosting Panel, go to Hosting & Servers.
2. Find your hosting account and click Manage.
3. In the General section, find Nameserver information and note the
   nameservers shown for your account.

Use the nameservers shown on your own account. Most accounts use: ns1.stableserver.net
ns2.stableserver.net
ns3.stableserver.net
ns4.stableserver.net
Some older accounts use a different set, so always check.

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Change the nameservers at your registrar

Log in to the registrar where you bought the domain and open the domain’s
nameserver settings. Depending on the registrar, this may be called
Nameservers, DNS, Manage DNS, or Domain settings. Replace the existing nameservers with the values shown in your hosting.com account. If your registrar provides four nameserver fields, enter all four values shown in your hosting account.

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Wait for DNS to update

DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to reach everyone. During this time,
some visitors may still reach the old site while others reach the new site. If the domain is used for email, changing the nameservers also changes where
its DNS records are managed. Make sure the required mail records exist in
the hosting.com control panel before or immediately after changing the
nameservers.

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Check it worked

Go to whatsmydns.net, enter your domain, and select NS as the record type. The results should show the nameservers from your hosting.com account at locations around the world. Then open your domain in a fresh browser tab. Your website should load from hosting.com once DNS has propagated. The free SSL certificate is issued automatically after the domain resolves to hosting.com. If the site does not have a padlock immediately, allow some time after DNS propagation for the certificate to be issued.

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What goes wrong

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Next

• Put your first site live: from nothing to a real URL
• Set up your mailbox
• Transfer a domain to hosting.com