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Buying a domain does not connect it to a website automatically. If the site will not open, diagnose the failure in this order: identify the browser error, verify registration and authoritative nameservers, check the apex and www DNS records, confirm the hosting account accepts the domain, and then fix HTTPS. This sequence separates a delegation problem from a missing record, an incorrect hosting target, and a certificate or redirect issue.
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Start with the exact browser error
Do not begin by changing random DNS settings. The wording in the browser usually tells you which layer is failing. Test the exact hostname you entered, because example.com and www.example.com are separate DNS names and can produce different results.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match| What you see | What it usually means | First check |
|---|---|---|
DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN |
The resolver completed its lookup and found no DNS records associated with the requested name. Cloudflare defines this as the domain not existing from the resolver’s point of view. | Confirm the spelling and whether you tested the apex or www; then inspect delegation and records. |
DNS_PROBE_POSSIBLE |
The requested name may have missing or incorrect DNS records. | Check the authoritative nameservers, then the A, AAAA, or CNAME record for that exact hostname. |
SERVFAIL, a pending DNS setup, or intermittent failure |
The resolver could not obtain a valid authoritative answer. A stale DNSSEC delegation is one possible cause. | Inspect the registrar’s DS record, nameserver delegation, and authoritative responses. |
| The hostname resolves, but the page is blank, refused, or a provider default page appears | DNS is reaching an address, but the hosting origin is not serving the custom domain correctly. | Attach the domain in the host account and verify that the record points to the current hosting infrastructure. |
| HTTP works but HTTPS fails, loops, or shows a certificate warning | The DNS path is usable, but TLS coverage, proxy mode, or redirect settings are wrong. | Check certificates for both hostnames and review proxy and redirect configuration. |
Check both hostnames explicitly
Enter the apex and the www version separately. A record for example.com does not automatically create one for www.example.com, and the reverse is also true. If one opens and the other does not, the problem is normally a missing record or a host configuration that covers only one name.
Confirm registration and nameserver delegation
A domain must be registered and delegated to the DNS service that contains its records. The registrar publishes the authoritative nameservers; those nameservers, not the registrar’s parking page or your computer, determine which A, AAAA, CNAME, and other records the public can find.
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- Verify the registration is active. Check the registrar account for the exact domain, an unexpired registration, and any hold or verification notice. A domain that was only placed in a cart, or that is suspended, cannot resolve normally.
- Copy the DNS provider’s nameservers exactly. Compare every nameserver shown by the DNS provider with every nameserver entered at the registrar. Cloudflare states that a mismatch prevents correct resolution.
- Remove unintended extra nameservers. Do not leave old provider nameservers alongside the new set unless the DNS provider explicitly requires that arrangement. An incomplete or mixed delegation can send different visitors to different DNS systems.
- Save the registrar change and allow publication. Cloudflare notes that some registrars may take up to 24 hours to publish nameserver updates. That is an upper allowance for some registrars, not a universal propagation promise.
- Test from more than one network. Query from a second connection or resolver after the change. A local recursive resolver can retain an older delegation while another resolver already sees the new one.
If the authoritative nameservers are still the old provider, editing records at the new provider will have no public effect. Conversely, if the delegation is correct but the new DNS zone has no website record, the domain can still return NXDOMAIN or an empty answer.
Query NS and SOA before editing website records
Nameserver (NS) and start-of-authority (SOA) responses tell you whether the domain is delegated to the DNS service you think it is. Check these before troubleshooting the web server.
dig NS example.com
dig SOA example.com
dig NS example.com @1.1.1.1
dig NS example.com @8.8.8.8Replace example.com with your domain. The NS result should list the authoritative nameservers supplied by your DNS provider. The SOA response should come from that same authoritative system and contain a valid zone response. If the answers show a registrar parking service, an old host, no nameservers, or an error, fix delegation at the registrar first.
Google recommends checking DNSSEC, authoritative nameserver health, delegation, and response behavior with tools such as dig and DNSViz. An authoritative DNS checker can provide a second view, but always compare its result with the nameservers configured in your registrar account.
Interpret the common query outcomes
- Expected NS and SOA: Continue to the apex and
wwwrecords. - NS points to the wrong provider: Correct the registrar delegation; changing A or CNAME records elsewhere will not help.
- No usable SOA or an authoritative error: Contact the DNS provider or correct the zone before testing the website.
- Different resolvers show different delegations: Wait for the registrar publication window and keep testing; do not repeatedly switch nameservers.
Fix the apex and www records
Once NS and SOA are correct, inspect the records for the names visitors actually use. The apex is the bare domain, such as example.com. The www hostname is a separate name.
| Hostname | Record to inspect | What the value must do |
|---|---|---|
example.com (apex) |
A and/or AAAA, or the apex mapping required by your provider | Point to the current hosting origin’s IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, or use the provider-supported apex target. |
www.example.com |
CNAME or provider-supported A/AAAA record | Lead visitors to the same site or the hostname your host specifies. |
Use the exact target supplied by the host. Do not copy an address from an old server, a temporary setup screen, or a previous provider. An obsolete AAAA record can be particularly confusing: visitors on IPv6 may reach a different server even while IPv4 tests appear correct.
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Check for conflicting records
- Remove duplicate or contradictory A records unless your host intentionally supplies several addresses.
- Do not create a CNAME at a name that already has incompatible A or AAAA records.
- Make sure the record name is entered as the provider expects. Some control panels want the full hostname; others want only the label such as
www. - Confirm that a record is not disabled, proxied incorrectly, or hidden by a draft DNS zone.
Allow for caching without assuming a fixed propagation time
DNS answers are cached by recursive resolvers. After changing a record or nameserver, one network may still return the previous answer while another sees the new one. Test from multiple resolvers and connections, and compare the result for both apex and www.
Do not treat a single successful lookup as proof that every visitor has the new delegation, and do not treat one stale local lookup as proof that the change failed. The only specific timing documented here is Cloudflare’s warning that some registrars may need up to 24 hours to publish nameserver updates; record-cache behavior varies with the published TTL and the resolver.
Investigate DNSSEC when the switch produces SERVFAIL
DNSSEC adds a chain of signatures beginning with a DS record at the registrar. If the registrar still publishes a DS record for the previous DNS provider while you have moved the domain to new authoritative nameservers, validators can reject the responses. The result may be SERVFAIL, a setup that remains pending, or a domain that fails only for validating resolvers.
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- Compare the DS information with the DNSSEC keys configured at the current authoritative provider.
- When moving away from a DNSSEC-enabled provider, remove the pre-existing DS record as Cloudflare instructs before changing to its authoritative nameservers.
- Wait for the DS removal to publish, then verify NS, SOA, and normal A/AAAA/CNAME responses.
- Re-enable DNSSEC at the new provider only when it supplies the required keys and explains the registrar’s DS entry.
Do not delete DNS records to fix a DNSSEC validation failure; records and the delegation’s security chain are separate issues.
Separate DNS from the hosting origin
A resolving hostname proves only that DNS returned an address. It does not prove that the web server knows which site to serve. After a hosting move, Google Search Central advises changing the domain’s DNS settings to point to the new hosting infrastructure. The host must also recognize the custom domain in its own account.
When the browser shows a blank page or default site
- Open the hosting control panel and add the exact apex and/or
wwwhostname required by the platform. - Confirm the domain is attached to the intended project, virtual host, or site—not merely verified in the account.
- Compare the DNS target with the host’s current destination. Replace addresses from the old host after a migration.
- Check whether the host requires one canonical hostname and supplies a redirect for the other.
When the connection is refused or times out
First confirm that DNS returns the expected address. If it does, the remaining causes are at the origin: the service may be stopped, the address may be wrong, a firewall may reject the request, or the host may not have the domain bound. Contact the host with the resolved address, hostname, and timestamp rather than changing nameservers again.
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Test http://example.com, http://www.example.com, https://example.com, and https://www.example.com separately. A certificate for only one name does not automatically cover the other. The certificate presented by the origin or proxy must include every hostname that visitors can reach.
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- Verify that the certificate’s names include the apex and
www, as applicable. - Ensure the host has completed certificate issuance for the custom domain rather than only for its temporary subdomain.
- Check whether HTTP-to-HTTPS redirection points to the correct canonical hostname.
- If HTTPS loops, review whether both the proxy and origin are forcing redirects in incompatible ways.
- Cloudflare notes that A, AAAA, and CNAME records may need appropriate proxy settings. Use the mode required by your certificate and origin configuration instead of toggling proxy status blindly.
Resolve DNS and attach the domain at the origin before troubleshooting certificate issuance. A certificate authority cannot validate a hostname that still points to the wrong server or has no usable record.
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Use this decision path to isolate the fault
- NXDOMAIN or DNS_PROBE_POSSIBLE: check the entered hostname, registration, NS/SOA, then the apex or
wwwrecord. - SERVFAIL or DNSSEC warning: inspect the registrar’s DS record and the current provider’s DNSSEC configuration.
- Address resolves but the wrong page appears: attach the custom domain to the correct hosting project and replace stale DNS targets.
- HTTP works but HTTPS fails: issue a certificate covering each hostname and correct proxy or redirect settings.
- Only one network fails: compare resolver answers and allow the relevant cache or registrar publication window to expire.
Keep a record of the hostname tested, resolver used, returned address, and time. That information lets a registrar, DNS provider, or host determine whether the failure is delegation, record data, origin routing, or TLS.
What to compare when choosing a registrar, DNS provider, or host
Changing providers is not itself a fix for a wrong record. Choose services based on whether their controls make the failure visible and whether the registrar, DNS provider, and host work together.
| Capability | Question to ask before switching | Why it matters during an outage |
|---|---|---|
| Authoritative DNS control | Which service publishes the NS and SOA responses, and can you identify it clearly? | You need one authoritative source for website records. |
| Record visibility | Can you inspect A, AAAA, CNAME, NS, SOA, and DS-related status without guesswork? | Clear records make delegation and hostname errors diagnosable. |
| DNSSEC support | Does the service document DS creation, removal, and key rollover? | Incorrect DS data can make valid DNS responses fail validation. |
Apex and www mapping |
Does the host explain exactly how each hostname should point to the site? | Visitors may use either hostname. |
| Certificate coverage | Will certificates be issued for every hostname you publish? | DNS can work while one hostname still shows a TLS warning. |
| Propagation and status visibility | Does the service show pending nameserver, certificate, or verification states? | Status information distinguishes waiting from misconfiguration. |
| Custom-domain binding | Does the hosting platform require adding the domain after DNS is changed? | A correct DNS target can still reach a default site if the origin has not been configured. |
When to contact support
Contact the registrar when registration, nameserver publication, or a DS record is wrong. Contact the DNS provider when its authoritative NS/SOA service does not answer correctly or its zone editor rejects valid records. Contact the host when DNS resolves to the expected infrastructure but the custom domain is unbound, the wrong project appears, the service refuses connections, or certificate issuance remains incomplete.
Include the exact domain, whether you tested the apex or www, the browser error, the output of the relevant dig queries, and the time and network used. Do not provide account passwords or private keys.
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