Changing website hosts can be challenging for some small business owners, and adding the need to update DNS may add to the stress. We’d like to alleviate that stress with some easy to follow instructions on updating DNS settings.

In this post, we provide instructions for performing DNS changes when you are switching WordPress hosting providers. There are two common use cases for this scenario, each with its own steps to follow. In one use case, you manage your own DNS records. In the other, your old WordPress hosting provider manages your DNS records. We’ll describe the steps for both.

What to Do When You Manage Your Own DNS Records

When you manage your own DNS records, it’s up to you to configure those records to work with your new hosting provider. You typically make these changes in the administration console of the registrar where you bought your domain name. In some instances your DNS records may be maintained by a third-party service like CloudFlare.

Before you make any changes, though, there are several important steps you should follow to ensure a smooth switch to your new managed WordPress hosting provider.

1. Migrate Your Site to Your New Hosting Provider and Test It

The first step in the process is to migrate your WordPress site (its database and files) to the new hosting provider. In most cases, you’ll operate a version of your website at both the old and new hosts for a time. This will give you the opportunity to test the new host’s servers and resolve any issues that come up. We recommend using our free site migrations to migrate your site. It’s easy to set up, and also provides an ongoing backup of your website if things should go awry.

All of this assumes, of course, that you have a way to access your new WordPress site before your DNS changes take effect. Most reputable WordPress hosting providers offer a way of doing this. Pressable, for example, provides staging URLs to all of its customers. This lets them test and administer their WordPress site before their DNS changes take effect.

2. Institute a Content Freeze

After you’ve determined that your WordPress site runs smoothly on your new hosting provider, you’ll want to place a content freeze on your site. This involves stopping all posting, commenting, and purchasing activity on the old version of your site. This gives you time to copy your website’s latest posts, comments, and orders to your new hosting provider.

One option you may want to consider during this phase is presenting a special offer page to site visitors attempting to hit your WordPress site at your old hosting provider. This page might explain what is going on and offer visitors a special deal for the inconvenience of having to return at a later time. This technique can help minimize any loss of business due to switching to new WordPress hosting providers.

3. Migrate and Test Your WordPress Site One Final Time

Now that the content freeze is in place, you should migrate the latest changes from your old WordPress site to your new WordPress site one final time. Again, a tool like VaultPress makes this step easy and straightforward. Then test your site one final time to ensure that there are no problems.

4. Update Your DNS Record

The next step is to point any A records for your domain to the IP address of your new WordPress site. If you want your website to be accessible at both www.yourdomain.com and yourdomain.com, you’ll need to update each respective A record. At this point, you’ve finished the process of updating DNS settings.

5. Wait for Your DNS Changes to Take Effect

It will take some time for your DNS changes to take effect. This is due to a phenomenon known as DNS propagation. The term DNS propagation is something of a misnomer. DNS does not propagate throughout the internet. Instead, it is cached by DNS servers. DNS servers and visitors’ operating systems alike take time to replace their cached records with new records. This delays the effect of your DNS changes. Your visitors will likely be able to see your website at its new IP address within a few hours, and possibly as soon as a few minutes.

Updating DNS When Your Old Hosting Provider Manages Your DNS

The above example assumed that you were managing your website’s DNS records yourself. But what should you do if you are switching WordPress hosting providers and your old host provider manages your website’s DNS records? In this scenario, you will need to change your nameserver (NS) records for your domain so that they point to the nameservers of your new hosting provider. This will allow your new hosting provider to set your domain’s A record(s) for you so that they point to your new IP address.

NS records are simple to change. Your domain’s NS records are maintained by the registrar where you bought your domain. This is always the case, even if you are hosting your DNS records somewhere else. So that’s where you’ll need to start.

The exact process is determined by your particular registrar. Generally speaking, it involves logging into your account at the registrar, locating your domain in their account management interface, and selecting the option to change your domain’s nameservers. Your registrar will be able to provide you with specific information on how to change your nameservers.

As with DNS records, the most important consideration when updating your nameservers is to ensure that your website is operational at the new host/server before you change the records. This will ensure that your visitors don’t experience any downtime as a result of the update.

Pressable is Here to Help

We hope that you’ve benefited from examining these two examples for updating DNS settings, and more important, that you’re now feeling empowered instead of anxious.

Pressable is here to help and our support staff is ready and able to help!