When you register a domain with Qoxy, the next essential step is to point the domain to the online services (eg. Website or Email) you use — mainly email hosting or website hosting. This process is known as pointing your domain, and it is done through DNS or nameservers or both. Wherever you have registered the domain, pointing your domain to your website or email is something you will need to do for you to use the domain.
This guide will walk you through exactly how it works, what to expect, and how to update your DNS or nameservers.
1. Why You Need to Point Your Domain to a Service
Every domain can be connected to two main types of services:
a) Email Service
Your email hosting provider stores and processes your email. Pointing your domain for email ensures:
You can send and receive emails using your business address (e.g., [email protected]).
Incoming email can flows correctly to the server that handles your inbox.
b) Website Service
Your website files are stored on a server.
Pointing your domain to your website ensures:
When someone enters your domain in a browser, it reaches the correct server.
Visitors can access your website without error.
Both services depend on the same thing: your domain must point to the correct server.
2. How Domain Pointing Really Works (The Technical Sequence)
A domain doesn’t automatically know where your email or website lives.
To direct visitors to the right server, the domain has to be configured in a very specific sequence:
DOMAIN → NAMESERVERS → DNS RECORDS → SERVICE (Email / Website)
This means:
Your domain must first point to a set of nameservers.
Those nameservers decide where your DNS zone is hosted.
In that DNS zone, you add DNS records to point your domain to your email or website.
DNS directs traffic to the final service.
If any step is missing or done in the wrong place or the records used is wrong, your domain will not be able to direct your traffic to the right services.
The services won’t work.
3. Nameservers: The First Step After Registering a Domain
Lets take a look at what is nameservers.
What Are Nameservers?
Nameservers tell the Internet where your DNS records are stored. They control the location of your DNS zone.
Examples:
Qoxy nameservers
ns1.qoxy.com
ns2.qoxy.com
Why Nameservers Must Be Set First?
Because DNS records only work on the nameservers your domain is using.
For example:
If your domain uses another provider’s nameservers, but you add DNS records inside Qoxy, nothing will work.
The Internet only reads DNS from the active nameserver.
Thus, the very first requirement is:
Set the correct nameservers for your domain → then manage DNS on that system.
Once nameservers are set, the DNS zone becomes active on that provider.
4. DNS: What It Is and How It Works After Nameservers Are Correct
Lets take a look at what is DNS.
What Is DNS?
DNS (Domain Name System) stores the rules that direct your domain to each service.
These rules include:
A Record → Points your domain to a web server IP
MX Record → Routes email delivery
CNAME Record → Aliases to another hostname
TXT Record → Verification, SPF, DKIM, DMARC
How DNS and Nameservers Work Together
Nameservers = Where your DNS zone lives
DNS Records = Instructions inside the DNS zone
Without nameservers → DNS has no home
Without DNS records → Nameservers have no instructions
This relationship is what allows your domain to link to your website and email host.
What to Expect After Updating DNS
Once DNS records are added:
You may experience DNS propagation times:
5–30 minutes for common updates
Up to 24 hours globally
What Is DNS Propagation?
When you update your DNS records, the change is saved instantly on your nameserver.
But the rest of the Internet doesn’t know about it yet.
Every device, ISP, and network keeps a cached (saved) copy of your old DNS information so websites load faster.
Propagation is the period where all these systems slowly update their cached copy to your new DNS settings.
Here’s the simple breakdown of how DNS propagation works:
You update a DNS record (for example, A Record or MX Record).
Your nameserver already has the new information instantly.
But other networks still hold the old information in their memory (cache).
They will keep using the old information until the cache expires.
Once expired, the network asks your nameserver again — and receives your new DNS record.
After enough networks refresh their cache, the update becomes visible everywhere.
This global “refreshing” process is what we call DNS propagation.
Why does it take time?
Because different networks clear their cache at different speeds.
That’s why during propagation:
Some people reach the new server
Some still reach the old server
Email may flow to the old mail server for a short while
DNS testing tools may show mixed results
This is normal and expected.
Propagation usually completes in:
5–30 minutes for many updates
Up to 24 hours worldwide depending on network caching
5. Example: How a Domain Is Pointed to Hosting (DNS + Nameservers)
Let’s say your hosting provider gives you:
Server IP: 203.0.113.10
Nameservers:
ns1.hostingprovider.com
ns2.hostingprovider.com
You have two ways to point your domain, but you should only choose one.
Option A — Use Hosting Provider’s Nameservers
Change nameservers to ns1.hostingprovider.com and ns2.hostingprovider.com.
DNS will be managed entirely from the hosting provider.
All A, MX, and TXT records must be created there.
You can manage your domain’s nameservers through your Qoxy customer portal:
https://manage.qoxy.com/login/
After logging in, go to List Domains.
Find your domain and click the Manage button beside it.
You’ll then see the settings page where you can update your nameservers.
Option B — Keep Qoxy Nameservers and Use DNS Records
If you prefer to manage DNS inside Qoxy:
Keep Qoxy nameservers active.
Add DNS records in Qoxy:
For your website
A Record → @ → 203.0.113.10
A Record → www → 203.0.113.10
For your email
MX Record → Provided by email host
SPF, DKIM, DMARC → Add as TXT records
Both methods work — but never mix them.
Only one set of nameservers can control your DNS.
You can manage your domain’s dns through your Qoxy customer portal:
https://manage.qoxy.com/login/
After logging in, go to List Domains.
Find your domain and click the edit dns button beside it.
You’ll then see the settings page where you can add/remote/modify your dns records for that domain.
Conclusion
With this guide, you now understand how to point your domain to different services through nameservers and DNS.
You’ll be able to manage your domain to set up a website, configuring email, updating DNS records, or switching hosting providers,
