How to Set Up DNS Servers and Manage DNS Records

How to Set Up DNS Servers and Manage DNS Records

"Setting up DNS servers" usually means one of two different things: pointing your domain to Hostking's nameservers at your domain registrar, or managing individual DNS records (A, CNAME, MX, TXT) once the domain already points to Hostking. This article covers both, plus how to do it in cPanel and DirectAdmin.

Step 1: Point Your Domain to Hostking's Nameservers

If your domain was registered somewhere other than Hostking, it needs to be pointed to Hostking's nameservers before any DNS records you add in cPanel or DirectAdmin will take effect. This is done at your domain registrar, not inside your hosting account. If nameservers still point elsewhere, records you add in cPanel or DirectAdmin will sit there and do nothing.

Find Your Hostking Nameservers

Your nameservers are listed in your welcome email and in the client area at my.hostking.host. They usually look something like ns1.hostking.host and ns2.hostking.host.

Change Nameservers at Your Registrar

The exact steps vary by registrar, but the process is similar everywhere:

1. Log in to the account where the domain was registered (not necessarily Hostking)
2. Find a section called Domain Management, DNS Management, Nameservers or Advanced DNS
3. Choose the option for custom nameservers rather than the registrar's own default nameservers
4. Delete any existing nameservers listed
5. Enter Hostking's nameservers — put the one starting ns1 in the first field, ns2 in the second, and so on
6. Save the changes

Allow up to 24 hours for the change to propagate fully. Once it has, you can confirm it by checking the domain's NS records with any online DNS lookup tool.

Step 2: Manage Individual DNS Records

Once your domain points to Hostking's nameservers, individual DNS records — such as A, CNAME, MX and TXT — are managed inside your hosting control panel, either cPanel's Zone Editor or DirectAdmin's DNS Management.

When Would You Change DNS Records?

• Setting up Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 email (MX records)
• Setting up SPF, DKIM and DMARC for email deliverability
• Pointing a subdomain to an external service, such as Shopify or Wix
• Verifying your domain with Google Search Console or Facebook
• Setting up a third-party service such as Cloudflare

DNS Record Types Explained

Managing DNS Records in cPanel

Open the Zone Editor

1. Log in to cPanel
2. Open Tools
3. In the Domains section, click Zone Editor
4. Find your domain in the list and click Manage to see all its records

Add a Record in cPanel

1. On the Manage page, click + Add Record
2. Choose the Type — A, CNAME, MX or TXT
3. Enter the Name — the domain or subdomain the record applies to
4. Enter the Record value — the IP address, hostname or text string
5. Leave TTL (time-to-live, how long the record is cached) at its default, or set it to 14400 seconds (4 hours) if unsure
6. Click Save Record

The Zone Editor also has quick buttons — + A Record, + CNAME Record and + MX Record — for adding the most common record types without opening the full editor. You can filter the record list by type on the Manage page if a domain has a lot of records.

Edit or Delete a Record in cPanel

On the Manage page, click Edit next to a record to change its value, or Delete to remove it. Avoid editing or deleting records you did not create yourself, as some are generated automatically and are needed for your site or email to work.

Managing DNS Records in DirectAdmin

Open DNS Management

1. Log in to DirectAdmin
2. Go to Account Manager and click DNS Management
3. Select the domain you want to edit

Add a Record in DirectAdmin

1. Click Add Record
2. Select the Record Type — A, CNAME, MX or TXT
3. Enter the Name — use @ for the root domain, or a subdomain prefix such as www, mail or shop
4. Enter the Value — the IP address, hostname or text string
5. Click Add

Edit or Delete a Record in DirectAdmin

Click Edit next to a record, update the value and click Save. To remove a record, click Delete next to it and confirm. Leave the records that were created automatically when the domain was added, as these are needed to bind the domain to your hosting.

How Long Do Changes Take?

Nameserver changes at your registrar can take up to 24 hours to propagate fully. Individual DNS record changes made in cPanel or DirectAdmin usually take effect within 15–60 minutes, though full global propagation can also take up to 24 hours. Avoid making further changes during this window, as it can be hard to tell whether an issue is a mistake or just propagation delay.

Common Records You May Need

Google Workspace MX records — add the MX records provided in your Google Admin console. Delete Hostking's default MX record first.

Microsoft 365 MX records — same process, using the MX record shown in Microsoft 365 Admin.

Domain verification TXT record — add a TXT record with @ as the name and paste the verification string as the value.

SPF record — add a TXT record at @ with value:

v=spf1 a mx include:hostking.host ~all

For more on email authentication, see the article on why emails go to spam and how SPF, DKIM and DMARC work.

Troubleshooting

• Records added in cPanel or DirectAdmin have no effect: check that the domain's nameservers at the registrar actually point to Hostking, not somewhere else
• A change "isn't working" straight away: wait the full propagation window before troubleshooting further
• Email stopped arriving after a DNS change: check the MX record points to the correct mail server and that no duplicate or default MX record was left in place
• Website or email went offline after a DNS edit: check for a deleted or incorrectly edited A, CNAME or MX record and restore the correct value

Need Help?

Our support team is available via live chat on the Hostking website or by opening a support ticket from the client area at my.hostking.host.