What is DNS?
What is a DNS Record?
A DNS record points specific parts of your DNS to a domain or IP. For example, we have many users that subscribe to G Suite. If you want to use Google’s (instead of InMotion Hosting’s) servers for your email, you will need to point your MX Records to Google’s mail servers. Google provides you with these records, here.
Another example of a DNS record is a CNAME record. A CNAME record simply points a domain to another domain. The most common, yet transparent, CNAME record example would be the www subdomain that simply points to the domain without www. A DNS lookup of the www.example.com CNAME record would indicate to resolve the A record for example.com and navigate to the IP stored in that A record. This allows visitors of your site to use www.example.com or example.com to reach your site and see the same content.
How Long Do DNS Changes Take?
DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to take effect. This period of time is referred to as propagation.
How do I view and add DNS records?
Before you make any DNS changes, make sure that you understand the records you are adding and the effect they may have on your website or web-based application. Follow the directions below to view and add the DNS records for the domains in your account.
How to View DNS Records
You can view most of your DNS records in the Zone Editor, which is in cPanel under the Domains section.
How to Add Common DNS Records
Shared Servers
To add A, MX, and CNAME records, you will need to access the, Zone Editor within your cPanel. This feature is located within cPanel’s Domains section. Here is a link to our guide providing instructions for adding DNS records using the cPanel Zone Editor.
VPS and Dedicated Servers
If you are on a Virtual Private Server (VPS) or Dedicated server, you also will have access to the Zone Editor. Not only will the Zone Editor allow you to add DNS records, but it will allow you to edit current records as well.
Instructions on adding A records and CNAME records in both cPanel and WHM can be found here:
SPF and DomainKeys
SPF and DomainKeys are types of TXT records, and are tools used by many mail servers in an effort to combat spam. To find out more information on these types of records, please see the following page: Fighting Spam with SPF and DKIM
Add new type records:
A
C NAME
MX
TXT
with the new IP of my current hosting where my website is right now.
Although it resolves and shows me the WEB, the DNS of inmotion still appear, how can I update them?
Hello Otoniel – If you did not change the Nameservers for your site, then the DNS will remain at that location. If you’re pointing your website to a new location and they offer DNS management, then you will need to change the nameservers to point to them. If you registered your domains through InMotion, then you can log into your AMP interface and modify the nameservers there.
I am in the process of moving my website from an IMH shared server to an IMH (unmanaged) VPS server. I am testing using a non-production domain name I own, and registered through IMH.
Using the zone editor in AMP for my VPS, I can add an A record for my test domain name and VPS IP. However, when I removed the A record using the cPanel zone editor for my shared server, the test domain name no longer resolved. I had to add it back in using the shared server cPanel zone editor, and point it to the VPS IP.
Why is this so? Shouldn’t DNS entries added via the AMP zone editor for my VPS, propagate?
Hello Dan,
Thank you for your question regarding updating DNS. Please note that it can take 4-24 hours for DNS changes to fully propagate, so that may be contributing to the issue. Alternatively, you may want to check that the domain name is pointing to the correct nameservers for the VPS in question.
Best Regards,
Alyssa K.
Hello, I am trying to point my domain to a Wix site and have read through all the questions and guides without any success. I add an A record and CNAME but then the connection doesnt get verified. I waited 48+ hours. What are you supposed to enter in the first field for the valid zone name. Is there anything else I can do to get a successful verification?x
Hi Jordan, if you are pointing to an externally hosted site, you will need to replace the primary A record and any CNAMEs. Please make sure you do not have conflicting records! Manually editing DNS records can be tricky if you have not done it before, so I would suggest sending the records you are trying to set up to our 24/7 Live Technical Support team if you need assistance.
i still didnt find any type of help how can i edit my nameservers and not A
AAAA
CAA
CNAME
MX
SRV
TXT
Please see our article on updating nameservers.
Hello! I am trying to create an A record and a CNAME for my new website, in which my domain name will be linked to this new website. I am not sure what I am supposed to put in the first field “example.mydomain.com” when I am adding the A record and CNAME. I have the info provided by the website developer regarding what needs to go in the second field.
Thanks,
Jamie N.
Hi Jamie,
I recommend reviewing our guide “Using the Zone Editor in cPanel” to help you through the process. The first value should be the domain name that you would like to create the (A or CNAME) record for. I hope this helps!
Sincerely,
Carlos D.
For SRV, and if you cannot choose the tls or tcp protocol in the fields in the Zone Editor (I did this by trial and error and it finally worked).
You have to create a single string under the name (like _sip._tls). The ._tls has to be added to the name after the _sip.
Same thing with the other one but just use the ._tcp
It is very easy to point Nameservers on Go Daddy’s website.
1) after you sign in go to top right corner and click your name
2) in drop down box, click on DOMAINS
3) Look to the left and go down and you’ll see “Quicklinks” and under that, “Control Panel Links” and under that “Manage Domain”
4) Scroll down until you see your domain name and click on it
5) Scroll down until you see a box outlined in yellow and TURN OFF the LOCK ( if it’s locked–which they lock by default)
6) Outside this yellow outlined box you’ll see “Manage DNS” and click on this
7) Scroll down until you see the two name servers listed underneath “manage DNS” and then click on change or edit button and you put “NS1.INMOTIONHOSTING.COM” and underneath this put “NS2.INMOTIONHOSTING.COM”
You must make sure you have both of these listed or it will not work. Double check on the name servers to make I typed it correctly. You do this for each one of your domains.
You may also call Go Daddy 24/7 and they will walk you through it step by step if you have any questions or doubts. I recommend you do this yourself with their help if you feel more comfortable. I am no technical person and if I can do this anyone can! You will see how simple it is, too. Or maybe do the first with them and you’ll be able to quickly do the rest. Good Luck! Liza:)
I am trying to finish configuration of the DNS records for Office 365. Office 365 says I need to create two SRV records with the following information:
When I create an SRV record in InMotion Hosting’s DNS management, there is not an option for “Service” or “Protocol.” I have tried using the full service + domain name for the “Name” in InMotion Hosting’s DNS management (e.g. “_sip.<domainname>.com” in the “Name” field), but the record still doesn’t show up correctly for Office 365 (either because that “Name” field isn’t actually the “Service” field requested or because there is no specified “protocol” field (e.g. “_tls” or “_tcp”). Any assistance would be appreciated.
Hello,
Sorry for any confusion in regards to entering SRV records in the Zone Editor. You can use this article to guide you on entering SRV records. If you have any further questions or comments, please let us know.
We are use OFFICE 365 here, but we can not add _sip DNS records, could you help us.
We need to use @ at NAME but cpanel not allow to add, how can we add?
Hello,
The @ symbol is not a valid character for a domain name, Generally, some documentation will use that as a shorthand and the @ symbol should be replaced with your domain name.
Best Regards,
Kyle M
I registered several domains through GoDaddy then several days later I activated a hosting account here at InMotion. How do I point my several domain names to InMotion servers?
Hello!
Thanks for your comment regarding your new domains purchased at GoDaddy. There are 2 things you will need to do to begin hosting those domains. First, you need to add the domains to your cPanel. The primary domain you signed up with is already added to cPanel upon activating your account. You can follow our guide on Configuring Domains in cPanel to add your other domains.
Second, you need to change the Nameservers the domains are pointed to. Since you purchased the domains from GoDaddy, you should be able to follow our guide on Nameserver Changes at GoDaddy.com. You should point the domain to InMotion Hosting’s Nameservers:
ns1.inmotionhosting.com
ns2.inmotionhosting.com
Please be aware that changes to your nameservers can take up to 24 hours before they take effect, so changes you make will not be immediate. I hope this helps!
Sincerely,
Carlos E
i built a new website in WIX and want it to be active to replace the current one. it wants me to change the dns to wix servers. –ns15.wixdns.net
– ns14.wixdns.net i would prefer to keep it here. how can that be done?
thanks
Hello Mike,
If you’re trying to host the files (and use their tools) to build site using the WIX tools, then you will need to move the nameservers to point to Wix. You can still keep the domain managed by us, but the name servers would still need to point to Wix.
If you have any further questions, please let us know.
Kindest regards,
Arnel C.
How can I sync my email across all devices using In Motion? Please advise.
Hello Karla,
Thank you for contacting us. I recommend setting up all devices as IMAP, which stores the emails on the server by default, and allows all devices to see the same emails.
Our Email Getting Started includes setup guides for many devices.
You can view your email settings in cPanel at any time.
Thank you,
John-Paul
I called tech support and they said it was normal. However, after entering all the mx records and the “include” SPF, Google still bounced my mail. After further review and seeing that Inmotion added a Google App Wizard to help with this, that Google charges $5 month for this service. So I suppose that is why my mail was bouncing. I figured using their mx servers was no differnt than using Google Public DNS IP addresses. I suppose since you have to have a custom domain to login to their admin panel, then that’s why they charge.
I added the Google mail servers, but left my domain as a back up with a priority of 11 for now to make sure the Google ones take. I added the Google SPF record as shown in the “included” section. But above my DKIM and SPF records section it says:
Warning: cPanel is unable to verify that this server is an authoritative nameserver for “creationgraphx.com”.
I do not know if this is because I still have creationgraphx.com still in my MX Records or if there is another issue. Can you please help so my mail does not bounce.
Hello Matt,
Thank you for contacting us. This is a known bug within cPanel and can be disregarded. cPanel checks the local server for DNS in cPanel causing this error. This is covered in more detail in our guide on SPF and Domain Keys.
That guide includes a helpful link to Google’s SPF instructions as well.
If you have any further questions, feel free to post them below.
Thank you,
John-Paul