Understanding Domain Connection: Nameservers vs. Pointing for Your Wix Website
When creating your dream website on Wix, one of the crucial steps is connecting your custom domain. This process ensures that when someone types in your web address, they land on your Wix site. But did you know there are two main ways to connect your domain to your Wix website? Let's break down the differences between changing nameservers and pointing, using the analogy of moving to a new address, to help you understand better. Additionally, we'll start by explaining the difference between domain registration and domain hosting.
Domain Registration vs. Domain Hosting
To fully understand how your website operates, it's essential to distinguish between domain registration and domain hosting:
Domain Registration: This is like registering your new home address with the government. It’s the process of reserving a domain name (e.g., www.yourdomain.com) so that you have the exclusive right to use it. A domain registrar is the company where you purchase and manage your domain name.
Domain Hosting: This is like renting or buying the actual house where you live. It’s the service that stores all the files, data, and content of your website and serves it to visitors when they access your domain. Web hosting providers, like Wix, offer space on their servers to host your website.
Key Differences:
Registration: Secures your website’s address.
Hosting: Provides the space and resources for your website to exist online.
What Are Nameservers and Pointing?
Think of your domain name like your home address. Just like how people use your home address to find where you live, internet users use your domain name to find your website. Nameservers and pointing are two methods to direct web traffic to your Wix website. Here’s a simplified breakdown:
Nameservers: These are like the postal service that tells everyone where your new address is.
Pointing: This is more like setting up forwarding instructions with the postal service so they send your mail to your new address.
Connecting a Domain via Nameservers
When you connect a domain by changing the nameservers, you’re essentially telling the entire internet that Wix is now your new address. Here’s what happens:
Update Nameservers: You log in to your domain registrar (the service where you bought your domain) and replace their default nameservers with Wix’s nameservers. It's like updating your address with the national postal service.
Wix Control: Once updated, Wix becomes responsible for managing your DNS settings. This means any further DNS modifications need to be done through Wix. It’s like having Wix handle all your mail forwarding services.
Propagation: The change propagates across the internet, which can take up to 48 hours. During this time, your domain may temporarily be unreachable. Think of it as the new address information taking time to update everywhere.
Benefits of Changing Nameservers:
Simplified Management: Wix handles all DNS settings, making it easier to manage your website.
Integrated Services: Automatic configuration of settings for Wix services like email forwarding and SSL certificates.
Connecting a Domain via Pointing
Pointing involves keeping the nameservers at your domain registrar but updating specific DNS records to point to Wix’s servers. Here’s the process:
Access DNS Records: Log in to your domain registrar’s control panel and find the DNS settings section.
Update Records: Add or update A (Address) records and CNAME (Canonical Name) records to point to Wix’s IP addresses. This is like setting up mail forwarding with your postal service so they know where to send your mail.
Propagation: Similar to nameservers, changes will propagate across the internet, taking up to 48 hours. The forwarding instructions need time to be updated everywhere.
Benefits of Pointing:
Flexible Control: You maintain control over your DNS settings, allowing you to manage different services like email with your domain registrar.
Custom Configuration: Useful if you have custom DNS needs or other services linked to your domain.
What Actually Happens?
When you connect your domain to your Wix website, either by changing nameservers or pointing, here’s a simplified look at what happens:
Domain Query: When someone types your domain into a browser, a DNS query is made to find where your website is hosted. It’s like someone looking up your new address.
DNS Resolution:
Nameservers: The query goes to Wix’s nameservers, which direct the browser to your Wix website. It’s like the postal service telling everyone your new address.
Pointing: The query goes to your domain registrar’s nameservers, which then follow the A and CNAME records to Wix’s servers. It’s like the postal service forwarding your mail to your new address.
Website Display: The browser retrieves your website's data from Wix’s servers and displays it to the user.
Which Method Should You Choose?
The choice between changing nameservers and pointing depends on your specific needs:
Change Nameservers if you prefer simplicity and let Wix handle all technical aspects.
Point Your Domain if you need to manage multiple services (like custom email) and want more control over your DNS settings.
Conclusion
Understanding the difference between changing nameservers and pointing can help you make an informed decision when connecting your domain to your Wix website. Both methods have their advantages, and knowing what happens behind the scenes can demystify the process. Additionally, knowing the difference between domain registration and hosting can clarify how your website functions. At WixCreate, we’re here to help you every step of the way, ensuring your website is up and running smoothly.
For more tips and tutorials on building your perfect website with Wix, stay tuned to our blog and feel free to reach out with any questions!
