What DNS is, in one paragraph
DNS is the internet’s address book. When someone types yourname.com, their browser asks DNS where that name lives, and DNS answers with the address of the server that holds your website. Connecting a domain means writing the right entry in that address book. The entries are called records.
The records you’ll meet
| Record | What it does | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| A | Points a name at a server’s IP address (like 192.0.2.10) | The bare domain, yourname.com |
| CNAME | Points a name at another name | www.yourname.com, or a subdomain like shop.yourname.com |
| TXT | Holds a line of text a service can read | Proving you own the domain; email records like SPF and DMARC |
| MX | Says which service receives your email | Email at your domain, not the website |
| Nameservers (NS) | Says which company runs the whole address book for your domain | Handing all of DNS to another service |
Adding website records doesn’t touch your email, as long as you leave the MX and email TXT records alone.
Connecting it, step by step
- Find where your DNS lives. Usually it’s the registrar you bought the domain from. If you once changed the nameservers to another service (Cloudflare is common), the records live there instead.
- Get the records from your website service. It will show something like: an A record for @ pointing at an IP address, and a CNAME for www pointing at a name it gives you. Some services also ask for a TXT record to prove you own the domain.
- Remove what’s in the way. Delete any old A or CNAME records for the same names, especially a registrar’s “parking page” records. Two different answers for one name confuse browsers.
- Add the new records exactly. “@” means the bare domain. Copy values character by character; a missing dot or an extra space breaks them.
- Save and wait. Changes usually show within minutes. Old answers can linger in caches for up to the record’s TTL, occasionally a day or two.
- Check it. Open yourname.com and www.yourname.com in a private window, on your phone with Wi-Fi off too. Both should open your site with a padlock (HTTPS).
yourname.com or www.yourname.com?
Pick one as the main address and send the other to it. For a personal brand the bare yourname.com is shorter to say and to put in a bio. Most website services handle the redirect once both records are in place.
When it doesn’t work
- Still shows the old page or a parking page: an old A record is still there, or your browser cached it. Remove the old record and try a private window.
- “Not secure” warning: the certificate is still being issued. Most services do it automatically within minutes to an hour after the records are right.
- Works with www but not without: the A record for @ is missing or wrong.
- Your registrar won’t accept a CNAME at @: that’s normal; use the A records your service gives for the bare domain, or a service that supports “flattening”.
- Email stopped: an MX record was deleted or changed. Put back the records your email service lists.
Connecting a domain to Bounley
- Open your dashboard and add your domain, or get one through Bounley.
- On a domain from Bounley, every record for your site (and your email) is put in for you.
- On a domain you already own, Bounley names the company that runs your DNS and shows the exact records to add there, then checks them for you.
- Your site goes live at yourname.com, with HTTPS, and bounley.me/yourname keeps working too.
Your own domain comes with Bounley Premium, invitation-only during the beta. How it works.
Questions
How long does it take for a domain to connect?
Usually a few minutes after the records are right. Caches can hold an old answer for up to a day or two in rare cases, which is where the old “up to 48 hours” advice comes from.
Should I change my nameservers or add records?
Adding records is simpler and leaves your email alone. Change nameservers only if a service asks you to run all of your DNS with it, and copy every existing record across first.
Will connecting my website break my email?
Not if you only add or change the A and CNAME records for the website and leave MX and email TXT records as they are.
Can I use a subdomain like links.yourname.com?
Yes, with a CNAME for that subdomain. For a personal brand, the bare domain is the better main address.