DNS Guide for Beginners: How to Connect Your Domain to Hosting

DNS sounds technical, but it is basically the system that tells the internet where your website lives.

If you bought your domain from somewhere like IONOS, but your hosting is with WPX, you need to connect the two together.

Think of it like this:

Domain = your website address
Hosting = where your website files live
DNS = the directions that connect them

What we are doing in this guide

In this guide, you’ll learn how to:

  • Find your hosting nameservers
  • Add them to your domain provider
  • Connect your domain to WPX hosting
  • Wait for DNS changes to update
  • Check your website is working

Step 1 — Log in to your hosting account

First, log in to your hosting provider.

In this example, I use WPX Hosting.

Once inside your WPX dashboard, find the hosting account for your website.

You are looking for your domain name, for example:

yourwebsite.co.uk
WPX hosting dashboard showing the website domain inside the hosting account.

Step 2 — Find your WPX nameservers

Your hosting company gives you nameservers.

Nameservers tell your domain:

“This website is hosted over here.”

For WPX, the nameservers usually look like:

ns1.wpx.net
ns2.wpx.net

You may see them inside your WPX control panel, welcome email, or hosting details.

Details of where to find WPX name servers
WPX nameservers showing ns1.wpx.net and ns2.wpx.net for connecting a domain to hosting.

Important

Always copy the nameservers exactly.

Even one small typo can stop your website from connecting properly.

Step 3 — Log in to your domain provider

Now go to the company where you bought your domain.

Examples:

  • IONOS
  • GoDaddy
  • Namecheap
  • 123 Reg
  • Cloudflare

For this guide, we’ll use IONOS as the example.

Log in and go to your domain dashboard.

Find your domain name, then look for:

DNS
Nameservers
Name Server Settings
Domain Settings

Different companies name it slightly differently, but you are looking for the section that controls nameservers.

IONOS DNS settings showing where to enter WPX nameservers to connect a domain to WPX hosting.

Step 4 — Change your nameservers

Once you find the nameserver settings, choose the option to use custom nameservers.

Then enter the nameservers from WPX.

Example:

Nameserver 1: ns1.wpx.net
Nameserver 2: ns2.wpx.net

Then click:

Save
Update
Apply
Confirm

Your domain is now being pointed towards WPX.

Step 5 — Wait for DNS to update

DNS changes are not always instant.

Sometimes they update in a few minutes.

Sometimes they can take several hours.

In rare cases, it can take up to 24–48 hours.

This delay is called DNS propagation.

Plain English:

The internet needs time to learn where your website now lives.

Step 6 — Check if your website is connected

After a short wait, type your domain into your browser:

https://yourwebsite.co.uk

If everything is working, your site should load.

If WordPress is installed, you should see your website.

If WordPress is not installed yet, you may see a holding page or hosting message.

That’s normal.

Step 7 — Install WordPress after DNS is connected

Once your domain is connected to WPX, you can install WordPress.

In WPX, go to your website control panel and choose:

WordPress
Install WordPress

After installation, bookmark your login page:

yourwebsite.co.uk/wp-admin

This is where you manage your website.

Step 8 — Set up SSL after DNS is working

Once your domain is connected, you should install SSL.

SSL gives your website the secure padlock:

https://

WPX includes free SSL, so you can install it from the SSL Certificates section inside WPX.

This helps protect your website and makes it look more trustworthy.

Common DNS mistakes beginners make

Mistake 1 — Editing the wrong DNS area

If you are changing nameservers, you do this inside your domain provider, not WordPress.

Example:

If your domain is with IONOS, change nameservers inside IONOS.

Mistake 2 — Typing nameservers wrong

Wrong:

ns1.wpx.com

Correct:

ns1.wpx.net

Always copy and paste.

Mistake 3 — Expecting it to work instantly

DNS can take time.

Give it a few hours before panicking.

Mistake 4 — Changing too many records at once

If you are unsure, only change the nameservers first.

Do not randomly delete DNS records unless you know what they do.

Quick DNS checklist

Before moving on, check:

✅ Domain purchased
✅ Hosting account active
✅ WPX nameservers copied
✅ Nameservers added to domain provider
✅ DNS saved
✅ Waited for propagation
✅ Website loads
✅ WordPress installed
✅ SSL installed
✅ /wp-admin bookmarked

Simple explanation

DNS is just the connection between your domain and your hosting.

Your domain is the address.

Your hosting is the house.

DNS tells visitors where the house is.

Once that connection is done, your website can go live properly.

Helpful next steps

After setting up DNS, you should:

  • Install WordPress
  • Set up SSL
  • Install essential plugins
  • Create your homepage
  • Set up business email

Recommended tools

I use:

  • IONOS for domain registration
  • WPX Hosting for hosting
  • WordPress to build the website
  • Google Workspace for business email

Affiliate note

Some links on this website may be affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission if you choose to buy through them, at no extra cost to you.

I only recommend tools I actually use or believe are useful for beginners.