To add DNS records in Hostinger, log into hPanel, go to Advanced, and select DNS Zone Editor. From there, pick the record type from the dropdown menu, fill in the required fields like name and value, then click Add Record. The new entry usually starts working within minutes, though full global propagation can take up to 24 hours depending on your TTL settings.
How to Add DNS Records in Hostinger Step by Step
Managing your domain's routing rules happens inside the DNS Zone Editor. This tool lets you point traffic where it needs to go, whether that is a web server, an email provider, or a third-party service. Learning how to add DNS records in Hostinger takes a few minutes once you know where the panel lives.
Estimated time: 5 to 10 minutes.
Difficulty: Beginner to intermediate.
- Log into your Hostinger account at hPanel.
- Click on Websites in the top navigation bar.
- Find the domain you want to modify and click Manage next to it.
- Look for the Advanced section on the left sidebar or the main dashboard.
- Select DNS Zone Editor from the list of tools.
- Choose the record type you need from the Type dropdown menu (A, CNAME, MX, TXT, etc.).
- Fill in the Name field. For a root domain, this is usually @. For a subdomain, type the prefix.
- Enter the destination address, IP, or text string in the Points to or Value field.
- Set the TTL (Time to Live). The default is usually 14400 seconds (4 hours).
- Click the Add Record button to save your changes.
Note: If you recently purchased your hosting plan or transferred your domain, the DNS Zone Editor might take a short while to populate with default entries. Wait about 15 minutes and refresh the page if it appears empty.
Warning: Changing or deleting existing A or CNAME records without knowing what they do will take your website offline. Always verify the current record before overwriting it. If you are setting up a new site from scratch, check our current hosting deals to make sure your plan includes the domain management tools you need.
The DNS Record Types You Will Actually Use
Hostinger supports all standard record types, but most people only interact with four or five of them. Each one handles a specific type of internet traffic.
A Records
An A record points a domain or subdomain directly to an IPv4 address. When someone types your website into their browser, the A record tells the internet which server holds your files. Hostinger automatically creates one when you set up a new website, pointing it to your shared or cloud server's IP address. You will need to edit this if you move your site to a different server or use a proxy service like Cloudflare.
CNAME Records
A CNAME record points a subdomain to another domain name instead of an IP address. People use these to connect services like www.yourdomain.com to your root domain, or to verify ownership for platforms like Shopify or GitHub Pages. You cannot put a CNAME on your root domain (@) because it conflicts with other necessary records. It only works on subdomains.
MX Records
Mail Exchange records route incoming emails to the correct mail server. If you use Hostinger's built-in Titan Email or Webmail, these are pre-configured. If you switch to a third-party provider like Zoho or Proton Mail, you will delete the existing MX records and add the ones your new provider gives you. They always require a priority number; lower numbers mean higher priority.
TXT Records
TXT records hold text data meant for servers, not humans. Their most common uses are verifying domain ownership for services like Google Search Console and setting up SPF or DKIM policies to prevent your emails from going to spam folders. When a service asks you to "verify your domain," they almost always hand you a string of characters to paste into a new TXT record here.
AAAA Records
These work exactly like A records but point to IPv6 addresses instead of IPv4. Since IPv6 adoption continues to grow across US networks, you might need one if your server operates exclusively on the newer protocol. Most standard setups still rely primarily on A records.
Common Mistakes When Editing DNS Records in Hostinger
DNS configuration leaves very little room for typos. A single wrong character can break your site or your email. Here are the mix-ups I see most often.
Mix-up: Assuming changes happen instantly across the entire internet.
Reality: While Hostinger updates its own nameservers quickly, ISPs and local routers cache old records based on your TTL setting. Full global propagation takes anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours. ICANN's documentation on the Domain Name System explains why this distributed caching exists and why it prevents network overload.
Mix-up: Adding a trailing dot to the destination in the Hostinger interface.
Reality: Some older DNS systems require a period at the end of a fully qualified domain name. Hostinger's hPanel handles this formatting automatically. If you add the dot yourself, the system might read it as a literal part of the address, causing the lookup to fail.
Mix-up: Creating a CNAME record for the root domain.
Reality: The root domain (yourdomain.com without any prefix) must have an A record. RFC standards prohibit placing a CNAME at the apex of a zone because it breaks MX and NS lookups. If you need root-level aliasing, look into ALIAS or ANAME records, though standard shared plans usually stick to A records for the root.
Mix-up: Leaving old MX records active when switching email providers.
Reality: If you have multiple MX records pointing to different providers with the same priority, incoming mail gets routed randomly between them. Delete the old ones completely before adding the new ones to avoid missing important messages.
What to Do If Something Goes Wrong
Even careful edits sometimes cause unexpected behavior. Before panicking, check these common failure points.
Problem: Your website shows a "DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN" error after changing the A record.
Fix: Verify the IP address you entered matches your hosting account's actual server IP. You can find the correct IP on the main dashboard under Hosting Details. If the IP is correct, clear your local DNS cache by opening Command Prompt on Windows and typing ipconfig /flushdns, or restart your router.
Problem: Emails sent to your domain bounce back after modifying TXT or MX records.
Fix: Check your SPF record syntax. It should start with v=spf1 and end with ~all or -all. If you accidentally deleted the SPF record while adding a verification string, recreate it. Also, confirm you did not add spaces inside the quoted text string, as extra spaces invalidate the policy.
Problem: The new record does not appear in the DNS Zone Editor list after clicking Add.
Fix: Refresh the page. Sometimes the browser caches the previous state of the table. If it still does not show up, check if you reached the maximum record limit for your specific plan tier. Basic plans occasionally cap the total number of custom entries.
Propagation Time and TTL Settings Explained
TTL stands for Time to Live. It tells other servers around the world how long they should remember your DNS record before checking back for updates. Hostinger sets the default TTL to 14400 seconds, which equals four hours.
If you plan to migrate your website to a new server soon, lower the TTL to 300 seconds (five minutes) a day before the move. This forces ISPs to check for updates more frequently. Once the migration finishes and everything works, raise it back to 14400 or higher to reduce unnecessary server queries.
Propagation depends entirely on this timer. When you change an A record, visitors whose ISPs cached the old IP will keep hitting the old server until the TTL expires. Visitors querying fresh will hit the new server immediately. This split behavior is normal during the transition window.
Managing DNS When Using External Nameservers
This guide assumes your domain uses Hostinger's default nameservers (ns1.dns-parking.com and ns2.dns-parking.com). If you pointed your domain to Cloudflare, AWS Route 53, or another provider's nameservers, the DNS Zone Editor in hPanel stops working.
When external nameservers control your domain, you must add, edit, and delete records inside that third-party dashboard instead. Hostinger will still display the editor, but any changes made there get ignored by the rest of the internet. To confirm who manages your DNS, run a quick WHOIS lookup or check the Nameservers section in hPanel.
If you decide to move DNS management back to Hostinger, change the nameservers at your domain registrar to point to Hostinger's addresses. Wait up to 48 hours for the delegation to update globally before trying to add records in hPanel again.
Connecting Third-Party Services
Many users learn how to add DNS records in Hostinger specifically to connect outside tools. Setting up a Shopify store, linking a Notion page via Super.so, or configuring a custom email workspace all require specific CNAME or TXT values. Copy the exact strings provided by those services. Do not alter capitalization or remove hyphens, as verification checks are case-sensitive on some platforms.
What This Means for Your Website Setup
Understanding how to add DNS records in Hostinger gives you direct control over your online presence. You are not stuck waiting for support tickets when you need to verify a domain, route email, or point a subdomain to a landing page builder. The DNS Zone Editor puts that authority in your hands immediately.
For beginners, the safest approach is to leave existing records alone unless a specific tutorial or service explicitly tells you to change them. Take screenshots of your default zone before making major edits. That way, if something breaks, you have a reference to restore the original configuration.
If you are building a new site from the ground up, getting your hosting sorted first makes the DNS setup much smoother. We track verified promotional pricing regularly so you do not overpay for the initial setup. Pairing the right plan with proper DNS management keeps your site fast and reliable.
Ready to configure your domain? Grab your hosting plan using code hHostCouponHub for an 85% discount, then head straight to the DNS Zone Editor to map out your records.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the DNS Zone Editor located in hPanel?
Go to Websites, click Manage next to your domain, then find Advanced in the sidebar or dashboard grid. Select DNS Zone Editor from the list. It sits alongside other technical tools like PHP Configuration and Cron Jobs.
How long does it take for a new DNS record to work?
Most records begin resolving within 15 to 30 minutes on Hostinger's end. However, global propagation depends on your TTL setting and individual ISP caches. Expect up to 24 hours for every visitor worldwide to see the change consistently.
Can I reset my DNS zone to default settings?
Hostinger does not have a single "reset" button for the entire zone. You must manually delete custom records you no longer need. If you accidentally deleted default records required for your website or email to function, contact Hostinger support or check their official knowledge base for the standard A and MX values tied to your specific hosting plan.
Does changing DNS records affect my SSL certificate?
Changing A or CNAME records can temporarily interrupt automatic SSL renewals if the validation check hits the wrong server during the process. TXT and MX records do not impact SSL. If you are migrating servers, wait until the new environment issues a valid certificate before routing all traffic to the new IP.
Do I need to know how to add DNS records in Hostinger if I use WordPress?
WordPress itself does not manage DNS. The platform relies on whatever A record points to your server. You only need to touch DNS settings when connecting external services, setting up email, or moving your site to a new host. Day-to-day content editing inside WordPress never requires opening the Zone Editor.
What happens if I enter the wrong IP address in an A record?
Your domain will point to whatever server owns that incorrect IP. If the IP belongs to someone else, visitors might see a blank page, an error, or another person's website. If the IP does not exist, browsers will return a connection timeout or NXDOMAIN error. Correct the IP immediately in the Zone Editor to restore access.
Getting comfortable with the DNS Zone Editor removes a major roadblock for anyone managing their own web projects. Once you understand what each record type does, adding or modifying them becomes routine maintenance rather than a stressful emergency. Keep your TTL values sensible, double-check your spelling before hitting save, and always know where your nameservers point. If you are starting fresh today, apply code hHostCouponHub at checkout to secure 85% off your plan, giving you full access to hPanel and all its management tools.
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