How to Connect a Non-GoDaddy Domain to Your GoDaddy Hosting Account

Connecting a domain not registered with GoDaddy to your GoDaddy hosting account may seem daunting, but with just a few steps, you can achieve this easily. This process involves updating the domain's DNS settings to point to your GoDaddy hosting. Below, we'll guide you through the process in detail.

Step 1: Obtain GoDaddy Nameservers

The first step is to obtain the GoDaddy nameservers that are provided for your hosting account. Here’s how to do it:

Log in to your GoDaddy account. Navigate to your hosting account dashboard. Locate the nameserver section. Note down the nameservers provided. These typically look like:

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Step 2: Update DNS Settings at Your Domain Registrar

The next step is to update your domain’s DNS settings to point to the GoDaddy nameservers. Here’s how:

Log in to the domain registrar account where your domain is registered, not GoDaddy. Look for an option to manage DNS settings. Replace the existing nameserver settings with the GoDaddy nameservers obtained in Step 1. Save the changes.

Note: Keep in mind that DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to propagate globally. During this time, your website might not be accessible.

Step 3: Allow Time for DNS Propagation

It’s crucial to allow ample time for the DNS changes to propagate. This process can take up to 48 hours, but it can be significantly shorter.

Step 4: Configure Your Hosting Account

After the DNS changes have propagated, return to your GoDaddy account:

Navigate to your hosting account settings. Add the domain to your hosting account, if required. Follow any additional steps needed to set up your website on that domain.

Step 5: Verify the Connection

To ensure the connection is working correctly, perform the following steps:

After DNS propagation, enter your domain into a web browser to check if it points to your GoDaddy hosting. Use tools like dig to further verify the DNS records.

For example:

dig @ -t CNAME dig @ -t A dig @ -t CNAME dig @ -t A

This process allows you to verify that the DNS records are pointing to the correct GoDaddy hosting server.

Additional Notes

- If you want to use specific services like email associated with the domain, you may need to configure additional DNS records like MX records as necessary.

- If you are not comfortable making these changes, consider contacting the support team of your domain registrar for assistance.

By following these steps, you should be able to successfully connect your non-GoDaddy registered domain to your GoDaddy hosting account.

Option 1: Delegate All Control to GoDaddy

If you want to delegate all control for all services on your domain to GoDaddy's nameservers, follow these steps:

Go to your domain registrar and update the nameservers for your domain to point to GoDaddy. Ensure that GoDaddy provides the ability to edit your DNS records on their end. If you are using other non-Goddady services, make sure you can re-configure those on the GoDaddy DNS server end before changing nameservers at your registrar.

Option 2: Keep Your DNS Where It Is

If you want to keep your DNS where it is and not delegate any control over your domain to GoDaddy, you can add specific records to connect GoDaddy:

Tell your DNS that you want both `@` (the naked domain) and `www` (a subdomain) to point at the GoDaddy hosting server. This can be done with either a `CNAME` record if you have a domain from GoDaddy or with an `A` record if you have an IP address from GoDaddy. For technical people, they can easily check what the records might look like by querying GoDaddy’s DNS servers directly and then replicating those records in your own DNS server. For example: dig @ -t CNAME dig @ -t A dig @ -t CNAME dig @ -t A

By following these options, you can maintain control over your domain while still using GoDaddy's services.