How do I point my domain to my hosting?

Your domain has to know where your website lives. There are two ways to tell it.

Option 1: change the nameservers (easiest)

1. Open the welcome email you received when your hosting was set up. It lists our nameservers.
2. Log in where your domain is registered and find Nameservers or DNS settings.
3. Replace the current nameservers with ours and save.

If your domain is registered with Hostnali and you ordered it together with hosting, this is already done for you.

Option 2: add DNS records

Keep your existing DNS provider and add:

• An A record for @ (the bare domain) pointing to your hosting’s IP address, which you’ll find in the welcome email or cPanel.
• An A record or CNAME for www pointing to the same place.
• MX records for email, if your email is hosted with us as well.

How long does it take?

Rwandan domains such as .rw and .co.rw, and international ones, usually update within a few hours, although it can take 24–48 hours for every network to pick up the change. In the meantime some visitors may still see the old website.

Check it worked

Open your domain in a private browser window. If you see your new website (or the default hosting page), it’s pointing correctly. Free SSL installs automatically once the domain points to us.

Stuck? Our team will set it up for you: contact us or start a live chat.