# Pointing Your Domain to Your Website

Source: https://support.kapsulehost.com/en-nz/custom-domain-for-website

By default, your KapsuleHost website is accessible at a temporary subdomain. To make it available at your own domain (for example, `www.yourdomain.com`), you need to add the domain in KPanel and update your DNS records.

### Before You Start

- You need to own the domain you want to point
- If the domain is registered elsewhere, you will need access to your registrar's DNS settings
- If the domain is registered with KapsuleHost, DNS is managed automatically

### Adding a Custom Domain in KPanel

1. Log in to KPanel at [kpanel.kapsulehost.com](https://kpanel.kapsulehost.com)
2. Go to **Websites** and select the site you want to configure
3. Open the **Domains** tab (see [Site Domains Tab](https://support.kapsulehost.com/en-nz/site-domains-tab))
4. In the **Add an external domain** section, enter your domain name (for example, `yourdomain.com` or `www.yourdomain.com`)
5. Click **Add**

KPanel will display the IP address your domain needs to point to.

### Updating Your DNS Records

Once you have added the domain in KPanel, create an [**A record**](https://support.kapsulehost.com/en-nz/dns-basics) in your DNS settings:

| Type | Name | Value |
|------|------|-------|
| A | @ | (your site's IP address from KPanel) |
| A | www | (your site's IP address from KPanel) |

If your domain is registered with KapsuleHost, this is handled automatically when you add the domain in KPanel.

> **Note:** DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate worldwide, though most updates are visible within a few hours.

### SSL Certificate

Once your DNS has propagated, KPanel will automatically issue a free SSL certificate for your domain. The site will be accessible at both `http://` and `https://`, with HTTP redirecting to HTTPS automatically.

See [SSL Certificates](https://support.kapsulehost.com/en-nz/ssl-certificates) for more information.

### Pointing a Subdomain

To use a subdomain such as `shop.yourdomain.com`:

1. Add the subdomain in the **Domains** tab as described above
2. In your DNS settings, create an A record with the subdomain name as the host

> **Tip:** If you want to use a subdomain hosted elsewhere (for example, pointing `mail.yourdomain.com` to Google Workspace), use a CNAME record instead. See [Setting Up CNAME Records](https://support.kapsulehost.com/en-nz/cname-records).

### Troubleshooting

**The domain is not resolving to my site.**
Check that the A record is pointing to the correct IP address shown in KPanel. Use a tool like [dnschecker.org](https://dnschecker.org) to verify propagation.

**I am getting an SSL error.**
SSL provisioning requires the domain to be pointing to KapsuleHost's servers first. Wait until DNS has fully propagated, then KPanel will issue the certificate automatically.