How to change domain CNAME

To change a CNAME record, you need to access the DNS Management Console of your domain provider (the company where you bought the domain or where your nameservers are pointed, such as Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.).

Because every provider has a slightly different interface, here is the general process that applies to almost all of them:

Step 1: Identify your DNS Provider

Determine who manages your DNS.

• If you use Cloudflare, you change it on Cloudflare.
• If you just bought the domain through GoDaddy and haven’t changed nameservers, you change it in GoDaddy.

Step 2: Log in and Navigate to DNS Settings

1. Log into your account (e.g., GoDaddy.com, Cloudflare.com).
2. Find your Domain List or DNS Management section.
3. Select the specific domain you want to edit (e.g., yourdomain.com).

Step 3: Locate the CNAME Records

1. Look for a table of records (A, MX, TXT, CNAME).
2. Find the specific CNAME record you want to change (e.g., one that points www to another address).
3. If the record doesn’t exist yet and you need to create a new one, click “Add Record.”

Step 4: Edit the Values

You will usually see two main fields to update:

1. Name (or Host): This is the subdomain part. For example, if you want to change www.yourdomain.com, you just enter www.
2. Target (or Value/Points To): This is the destination address.
   • Example: If you are pointing your site to a Shopify store, the target might be shops.shopify.com.
   • Note: A CNAME must point to another domain name, not an IP address (use an “A Record” for IP addresses).

Step 5: Save and Wait (Propagation)

1. Click Save or Update.
2. Wait: DNS changes are not instant. It can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to “propagate” across the entire internet, though it usually happens within an hour.

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Important Rules & Common Pitfalls

• The “Root Domain” Rule: Most DNS providers do not allow a CNAME record for your root domain (e.g., example.com). You can only use CNAMEs for subdomains (e.g., www.example.com or blog.example.com). If you need to point your main site, you must use an A Record (which uses an IP address).
• Don’t forget the “www”: If you are setting up a website, make sure you have both a CNAME for www and a proper redirect/record for the root.
• Check your records first: Before deleting an old record to replace it with a new one, make sure you aren’t deleting something important (like a mail server or other subdomains).

Summary Table: Which record should I use?

If you want to point to…	Use this Record Type	Example Value
Another Domain/Alias (e.g., Shopify, Zendesk)	CNAME	shops.shopify.com
An IP Address	A Record	192.0.2.1
An Email Server	MX Record	mail.google.com