How to Point a Domain to Cloudways: A Step-by-Step Guide

Knowing how to point your domain to Cloudways is a crucial step in setting up your website or application on their managed cloud hosting platform. Whether you’re launching a new site or transferring an existing one, this guide will walk you through the process to ensure your domain is correctly configured to work with Cloudways.

What is Cloudways?

Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform known for its ease of use and flexibility in deploying applications across multiple cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform, DigitalOcean, Vultr, and Linode. It simplifies server management, making it ideal for developers, agencies, and businesses looking for scalable and reliable hosting solutions.

Why Point Your Domain to Cloudways?

Pointing your domain to Cloudways allows you to leverage their robust infrastructure and management features while retaining control over your domain settings. By integrating your domain with Cloudways, you can take advantage of their advanced caching, automated backups, and security features to ensure optimal performance and reliability for your website or application.

Step-by-Step Guide to Pointing Your Domain to Cloudways

Follow these steps to point your domain to Cloudways:

Step 1: Access Your Cloudways Account

Log in to your Cloudways account. If you don’t have one yet, sign up for an account and log in to access the platform.

Step 2: Launch a Server

Before pointing your domain, you need to have a server set up on Cloudways. If you haven’t launched a server yet, follow these steps:

1. From the Cloudways dashboard, click on “Servers” in the top menu.
2. Click on the “Launch” button to start the process of launching a new server.
3. Select your preferred cloud provider (AWS, Google Cloud Platform, DigitalOcean, Vultr, or Linode) and configure your server settings such as server size, location, and application.

Once your server is launched, proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Obtain Your Cloudways Server IP Address

To point your domain to Cloudways, you’ll need to use your server’s IP address. Here’s how to find it:

1. In your Cloudways dashboard, navigate to the “Servers” section.
2. Click on the server you’ve launched to view its details.
3. Locate and copy the IP address displayed under the server information. This IP address will be used to point your domain.

Step 4: Update DNS Settings with Your Domain Registrar

Now, you’ll need to update the DNS settings with your domain registrar (where you purchased your domain). The specific steps may vary depending on your registrar, but generally, you’ll follow these guidelines:

1. Log in to your domain registrar’s website and access your domain management dashboard.
2. Find the option to manage DNS settings or DNS records for your domain.
3. Look for an option to edit or add A records (Address records).

Step 5: Add A Records for Your Domain

1. In your domain registrar’s DNS management interface, locate the section for A records.
2. Add a new A record with the following details:
   • Name or Host: This is typically “@” or your domain name without “www.”
   • Value or IP Address: Paste the IP address of your Cloudways server that you copied in Step 3.
   • TTL (Time to Live): You can usually leave this as default or set it to the recommended value by your domain registrar.
3. Save or apply the changes to update your DNS settings.

Step 6: Verify and Propagate DNS Changes

DNS changes may take some time to propagate across the internet, ranging from a few minutes to several hours. During this propagation period, some visitors may see the old site or experience intermittent access. You can use online DNS propagation checkers to monitor the status of your DNS changes.

Step 7: Configure SSL Certificate (Optional)

To secure your website with HTTPS, you can configure an SSL certificate on Cloudways. Here’s how:

1. In your Cloudways dashboard, navigate to the “SSL Certificate” section under the server management menu.
2. Follow the prompts to install a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate or upload your custom SSL certificate if you have one.

Conclusion

Pointing your domain to Cloudways is a straightforward process that ensures your website or application is hosted on a reliable and scalable platform. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can seamlessly integrate your domain with Cloudways and take advantage of their powerful hosting features. Whether you’re launching a new site or migrating an existing one, Cloudways provides the flexibility and support you need to succeed online.

Ready to get started with Cloudways? Visit the Cloudways website, sign up for their managed cloud hosting today and experience the difference in performance and reliability.