Set Up a Custom Domain for Your Website, Landing Page, or App

Introduction

Setting up a custom domain for a website, landing page, or app should be simple, but it can affect email, verification, and other connected services if DNS is changed carelessly. This guide explains how to update only the records needed for your new site while keeping existing DNS records intact.

Before you begin

Before making any changes, review your current DNS zone and identify which records are already in use. This helps you avoid overwriting records that support business email, subdomains, domain verification, or third-party tools.

• Access to your DNS provider or domain registrar
• The DNS records required by your hosting provider or app platform
• A list of existing records for email and connected services
• A temporary hostname or staging domain for testing, if available

Step-by-step instructions

1. Review your current DNS zone

Open your DNS management panel and check the existing records for the domain. Pay close attention to MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, TXT, CNAME, A, and AAAA records already in place. Identify which records are used for email, verification, and other services before making any updates.

2. Add only the records needed for the new website or app

For most website or app setups, you will add or update one of the following records: A record, AAAA record, or CNAME record. Use the exact values provided by your hosting provider or platform, and avoid changing unrelated records unless you are migrating those services too.

3. Keep email and authentication records unchanged

If the domain is also used for business email, leave MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records unchanged. These records control mail routing and authentication, and altering them can interrupt email delivery or damage deliverability.

4. Lower the TTL before switching hosting providers

If you are moving to a new host, reduce the TTL on the relevant DNS records in advance. A lower TTL helps DNS changes propagate faster when you update the production records.

5. Test on a temporary hostname first

Before pointing the main domain to the new server, test the site or app on a temporary hostname or staging subdomain. Confirm that the application loads correctly and that any integrations behave as expected.

6. Update production DNS during a low-traffic window

Once testing is complete, update the production DNS records during a low-traffic period. This reduces the impact if propagation takes time or if any issue needs to be corrected quickly.

7. Verify the domain after the change

After the DNS update, confirm that the domain loads correctly and that SSL is active. Also test connected forms, payment pages, scheduling tools, and other integrations to make sure they still work.

Best practices

• Change only the records required for the new service
• Keep a backup of the current DNS zone before editing
• Use a staging or temporary hostname for validation
• Confirm that email authentication records remain intact
• Allow time for DNS propagation before making further changes

Common issues to check

• The domain points to the wrong server IP address
• A CNAME record conflicts with an existing record on the same hostname
• SSL has not been issued or is still pending
• Forms, payment pages, or third-party integrations are not loading correctly
• Email delivery is affected because MX or authentication records were changed

Next steps

If you are migrating hosting, connecting a landing page, or setting up a new app, document the final DNS configuration for future reference. Keep a copy of the working records so you can restore them quickly if needed.

When to get help

If you are unsure which DNS records are safe to change, or if your website and email share the same domain, consider getting technical support before making updates. A careful review can prevent downtime, broken email, and lost verification settings.

Disclaimer

DNS changes can affect website availability, email delivery, and connected services. Always verify changes in a test environment when possible and use your own discretion when updating production records.