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How to Change the Domain Name of Your Application

Learn the step-by-step process to update your application's domain effortlessly on Cloudways platform so it aligns with your brand.

Written by Syed Abuzar Mehdi

At Cloudways, when you take your site live, you change the domain of your application so it no longer has the default domain, which is provided by Cloudways. You have your domain name attached to your website.

If you’re still utilizing the default domain provided by Cloudways for your application or if you’ve undergone a business name change, or perhaps acquired a new domain for your existing website, this article is your guide.

Here, we’ll walk you through the straightforward steps on the Cloudways Platform to seamlessly update the domain name of your application, ensuring your online presence aligns perfectly with your current branding and objectives.

Tip:

Click Here if you would like to know what domains are.

How to Change the Domain Name of Your Application

Log in to your Cloudways Platform using your credentials.

How to Change the Domain Name of Your Application

  • From the left sidebar, click Flexible, then select My Servers.

  • Next, choose the server where your desired application is deployed.

  • Click www icon.

  • Next, choose your application name.

  • Under Application Management, select Domain Management.

  • Next, click Add Domain.

  • Now, add your domain. You can add a root domain, e.g., cloudways.icu, or a subdomain, e.g., support.cloudways.icu. Alternatively, you can add a WildCard domain, e.g., *.cloudways.icu, which covers all the subdomains simultaneously instead of adding each domain individually.

  • Once done, click Add Domain(s).

  • Adding Domain may take a few minutes.

Tip:
​Adding a root domain, e.g., cloudways.icu, will automatically cover the domain with a www alias.

  • If you have any additional domains associated with the same application, e.g., cloudways.co.uk or app.cloudways.icu, you can add them here by clicking Add Domain. These additional domains will be added as an alias.

  • Next, you need to make one of your domains a primary domain. Then, all the other domains will be added as an alias. You can learn about the differences between primary and alias domains.

  • Navigate to your desired domain and click ⋮ More Options. Next, select Make Primary to make your domain a primary domain.

Tip:

You can delete any unused domains that you no longer need from this section too, except the Cloudways default domain.

  • Next, click Set as Primary to confirm the selection.

  • Next, you need to add your DNS records (A Records). We have also created a guide about creating A records, which are used to point your domain to your Cloudways server to take your website live using the new domain name.

Why Correct DNS Records Matter

Your domain must point to your Cloudways server IP to function properly. If DNS A records are missing or point to the wrong IP address, your website will not be accessible on your domain name, even though the application is running on Cloudways.

Additionally, if you have email configured on a different server and change only the website DNS records without updating email DNS records (CNAME or MX records), email delivery may be interrupted. The TTL (Time To Live) value can be set to Auto; it does not affect whether the records work.

Your Cloudways Server IP can be found in the Servers menu of your Cloudways dashboard.

In this tutorial, we have used Namecheap to add and manage our DNS records. Of course, you can also use any DNS registrar of your choice, but the process should be identical.

To learn more about how to fix the incorrect DNS records or update the right one, read the dedicated section of the article by clicking here.

Before You Add A Records

  1. Confirm the correct server IP. Copy the IP from Servers > select your server > Server Details. If your server was recovered or recreated, or you have cloned servers, use the new IP for the intended server. The previous IP no longer works, and a wrong IP will load content from a different server.

  2. Remove conflicting records. At your registrar’s DNS manager, delete any existing A or CNAME records for the root domain (@) and www before adding the new ones.

Add A Records at Your DNS Provider

Option A: GoDaddy

  • Navigation: Log in to your GoDaddy account and go to your domain’s DNS management page.

  • Action: Add four A records total.

    • For the root domain (without www), create one A record with Host set to @ (or leave blank), Type set to A, and Value set to your Cloudways Server IP. Create a second A record with the same settings.

    • For the www subdomain, create one A record with Host set to www, Type set to A, and Value set to your Cloudways Server IP. Create a second A record with Host set to www and the same Value.

    • Set TTL to Auto for all records.

  • Expected result: All four A records appear in your GoDaddy DNS manager with the correct IP addresses.

Option B: Cloudflare

  • Navigation: Log in to your Cloudflare account and open the DNS manager for your domain.

  • Action: Add two A records.

    • For the root domain (without www), create an A record with Name set to @ (representing your root domain), Type set to A, and Value set to your Cloudways Server IP, TTL set to Auto.

    • For the www subdomain, create an A record with Name set to www, Type set to A, and Value set to your Cloudways Server IP, TTL set to Auto.

  • Expected result: Both A records are created and appear in your Cloudflare DNS manager.

Reset nameservers at your registrar (if needed)

  • Navigation: Log in to your domain registrar account.

  • Action: Locate the Nameservers section. If you changed nameservers away from your registrar’s defaults, reset them back to your registrar’s nameservers or update them to point to your DNS hosting provider (such as Cloudflare, if you are using Cloudflare to manage your DNS). Save your changes.

  • Expected result: Your nameservers are updated. The DNS A records you created will become active once nameserver propagation completes, typically within a few minutes to a few hours.

Note:

  • Please note that the domain registrar is the company from where you purchased your domain, while the DNS records can be hosted at the same domain registrar or any third-party service.

  • Cloudways is your hosting provider and does not manage your DNS records directly. You must manage your DNS records (A, TXT, DKIM, and CAA records) through your domain registrar or third-party DNS service. However, if you subscribe to the DNS Made Easy add-on, Cloudways partners with DNS Made Easy to manage your DNS records, and you can manage them directly from your Cloudways account.

Configuring A Records at Your Domain Registrar

To point your domain to your Cloudways server and take your website live, you must add A records at your domain registrar (the company from which you purchased your domain). The following steps use Namecheap as an example, though the process is similar at other registrars such as GoDaddy.

Step #1 - Add A Record for Root Domain:

  1. Log in to your Namecheap account and access your domain’s DNS settings.

  2. Create a new A record with the following values:

    • Type: A

    • Host: @ (represents your root domain)

    • Value: Your Cloudways server IP address

    • TTL: Auto

The A record for your root domain is created.

Step #2 - Add A Record for www Subdomain:

  1. Remain in your domain’s DNS settings at Namecheap.

  2. Create a second A record with these values:

    • Type: A

    • Host: www

    • Value: Your Cloudways server IP address (same as the root domain)

    • TTL: Auto

The A record for the www subdomain is created.

Step #3 - Verify A Records Are Active:

  1. Return to the Cloudways Platform and open Domain Management for your application.

  2. Check that both A records now appear in your domain status.

Both A records display as configured, indicating your domain is pointing to Cloudways.

If you don’t want to point DNS records, you can subscribe to the DNS Made Easy Add-on for hassle-free DNS management, where we manage your DNS records.

When you change the domain name, it also updates your domain name in the application database.

Configuring TXT Records for Domain Verification

TXT records are DNS entries used for domain verification with services such as Google Workspace. TXT records are entered as DNS entries in your DNS manager, not uploaded as files.

Step #1 - Access Your DNS Manager:

  1. Log in to your domain registrar’s DNS manager (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, or another DNS platform where your DNS is hosted).

  2. Locate the DNS records section for your domain.

You can now view and edit your DNS records.

Step #2 - Create a TXT Record:

  1. In your DNS manager, select the option to create a new record.

  2. Enter the following values:

    • Type: TXT

    • Name/Host: @ (or leave blank, depending on your DNS panel interface)

    • Value: The verification string provided by the service (for example, your Google Workspace verification string)

The TXT record is created with the correct verification value.

Step #3 - Save and Wait for Propagation:

  1. Remain in your DNS manager.

  2. Save the record and allow DNS propagation to complete.

DNS propagation takes up to 24 hours. Once it is complete, the verification service can confirm your domain ownership.

Configuring DKIM Records for Email Verification

If you are using Elastic Email or another email service, you must add a DKIM record to your DNS to verify domain ownership and enable proper email delivery. Cloudways Support can help you retrieve the correct DKIM key value for your domain.

Step #1 - Obtain Your DKIM Key:

  1. Contact Cloudways Support or log in to your email service provider (such as Elastic Email) to retrieve your domain’s DKIM keys.

  2. Note the DKIM key value provided. It is a long string beginning with k=rsa;t=s;p=.

You now have the DKIM key value ready to add to your DNS.

Step #2 - Add DKIM Record to DNS:

  1. Log in to your domain registrar’s DNS manager.

  2. Create a new TXT record with:

    • Type: TXT

    • Name/Host: api._domainkey (or the specific DKIM selector provided by your email service)

    • Value: The full DKIM key string

The DKIM record is created in your DNS.

Step #3 - Verify DKIM Record Propagation:

  1. Open a DNS checker tool such as whatsmydns.net.

  2. Enter your DKIM record name (api._domainkey.yourdomain.com) and check that the DNS value matches the key you added. Depending on your TTL settings, this may take up to one hour.

The DNS checker confirms your DKIM record is live and matches the expected value. Your email service verification can then proceed.

Troubleshooting Domain Status and DNS Issues

Step #1 - Check for CAA Records Blocking Your Domain:

  1. Use a DNS checker tool such as whatsmydns.net and search for CAA records for your domain.

  2. If CAA records appear, they may prevent proper verification or service activation. Contact your domain registrar to remove all CAA records from your domain.

After the CAA records are removed, your domain status becomes active.

Step #2 - Verify A Records Are Appearing:

  1. In the Cloudways Platform, open Servers, select your server, click the globe icon, choose your application, and open Domain Management.

  2. Check that both your root domain (@) and www A records appear in your domain list.

Both A records appear with your Cloudways server IP address. If they don’t, verify at your domain registrar that the Host field is @ for the root domain and www for the subdomain, and that the IP value matches your Cloudways server.

Step #3 - Allow Time for DNS Propagation:

  1. After adding or updating any DNS record, use whatsmydns.net to check propagation status.

  2. Enter your domain name and the record type (A, TXT, or DKIM) and monitor the global propagation status.

DNS propagation typically completes within 24 hours. Once all nameservers show your new record value, your domain is ready for use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I find the settings to add DNS records?
​

DNS records are managed at your domain registrar or at a third-party DNS hosting service (such as Cloudflare or GoDaddy). Log in to whichever service manages your domain’s DNS and look for a section called DNS Manager, DNS Records, or DNS Settings. This is NOT done in the Cloudways dashboard; Cloudways only hosts your application.

Will changing my DNS A records break my email?
​

If your email is configured on a different server, changing only the A record (which points your website to Cloudways) may interrupt email delivery. Email uses separate DNS records (such as MX or CNAME records). If you are migrating your website to Cloudways but keeping email elsewhere, ensure you do not modify the email-related DNS records. Contact your support agent if you need help identifying which records control email.

What IP address should I use in my A records?
​

Use the Cloudways Server IP. You can find this by logging into your Cloudways dashboard, opening Servers, selecting your server, and viewing the server details. Your support agent can provide this IP if needed.

That’s it! We hope this article was helpful.

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