How to Point a Domain to a Different Host

You may want to keep your domain registered with dotCanada while hosting your website with a different provider. This is completely normal - your domain registration and your hosting can be managed separately. There are two main ways to point your domain to a different host.

Option 1: Update Your Nameservers

The simplest approach is to point your domain's nameservers to your new host. This hands over full DNS control to the other provider.

1. Get the nameserver addresses from your new hosting provider (e.g., ns1.newhost.com and ns2.newhost.com).
2. Log in to your dotCanada client area.
3. Navigate to Domains, click your domain, and find the Nameservers section.
4. Replace the existing nameservers with the ones from your new host.
5. Save the changes. DNS propagation can take up to 24–48 hours.

Option 2: Update Your A Record in cPanel

If you only want to point your website to a different server while keeping your DNS (and email) managed at dotCanada, update your A record instead.

1. Get the IP address of your new web host's server.
2. Log in to cPanel and go to Domains > Zone Editor.
3. Find the A record for your domain (and www) and update it to the new IP address.
4. Save the changes and wait for propagation.

Which Option Should I Choose?

Use Option 1 if your new host manages everything for you. Use Option 2 if you want to keep email hosted with dotCanada and only move the website. If you're unsure, contact our support team and we'll help you decide.