DNS propagation and troubleshooting

After you change nameservers or DNS records, some people see the new destination while others still reach the old one. This is DNS propagation, and it is normal. Understanding it helps you tell the difference between "still updating" and "configured incorrectly".

Why changes take time

Internet providers, company networks and devices cache DNS answers to keep browsing fast. A cached answer is reused until its TTL expires. That is why:

• Record changes usually appear within the record's TTL, often from a few minutes to a few hours.
• Nameserver changes can take up to 48 hours, because the registry's own records are cached for longer.

There is no way to force every network on the internet to refresh, but lowering TTLs before a planned change shortens the wait considerably.

Check what the internet sees

Ask a public resolver directly instead of relying on your own browser. On macOS or Linux, open a terminal:

dig example.com A +short
dig www.example.com CNAME +short
dig example.com MX +short
dig example.com NS +short
dig @8.8.8.8 example.com A +short

On Windows, open Command Prompt or PowerShell:

nslookup example.com
nslookup -type=MX example.com
nslookup example.com 8.8.8.8

If a public resolver returns the new value but your own computer does not, the change is live and only your local cache is out of date.

Clearing your local cache

• Windows: run ipconfig /flushdns in an administrator Command Prompt.
• macOS: run sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder in Terminal.
• Browsers: close and reopen the browser, or test in a private window or on mobile data.

Common problems and fixes

• The old website still appears after 48 hours: confirm the nameservers are correct with dig NS, then check that the A record at the active DNS service holds the new IP.
• The website works but email stopped: the new DNS service is missing your MX records. Add them straight away.
• "Server not found" for www only: there is no www record. Add an A record or a CNAME to the root domain.
• A security certificate warning: the domain now reaches a server that does not yet have a certificate for it. Confirm the correct server is answering, then check the certificate on that server.
• A nameserver change still shows Pending on your domain page: our team is still applying it. Propagation starts after it shows Applied.

If your checks show the wrong values and you are not sure why, open a ticket with the domain, the change you made, the time you made it and the output of the commands above.