Change DNS for a website or move to a new host

Step-by-step troubleshooting

1. 1

   Tell us before anything is changed

   Log a ticket with the domain name, the new host or web developer's contact, and the go-live date. We hold the DNS records for most clients, so the change should be made by us rather than by handing over registrar logins.

2. 2

   Export the current zone

   We take a full copy of every existing record — A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, domain verification) and SRV. This is the rollback point and the checklist for what must survive the move.

3. 3

   Only change the website records

   A website move needs the root A record and the www CNAME (and sometimes a TXT verification record). Nothing else. If a new host asks you to 'point the nameservers to us', stop — that hands your entire zone, including mail, to them.

4. 4

   Lower the TTL 24-48 hours ahead

   We drop the TTL on the records being changed to 300 seconds the day before. That way the cutover propagates in minutes instead of hours, and a rollback is just as quick.

5. 5

   Confirm the new site works on the new IP first

   The new host should give you a preview URL or staging address. Check the site, forms, SSL certificate and any payment integration before the cutover, not after.

6. 6

   Cut over and verify

   We change the record, then verify from outside your network, confirm the SSL certificate reissues, and send a test email in and out of the domain to prove mail flow is untouched.

7. 7

   Restore the TTL and monitor

   After 24 hours of clean results the TTL goes back up and we keep the old zone export for 30 days in case anything obscure (a subdomain, an app, a scanner) surfaces later.