How to update your DNS zone to point your domain to your website
Connecting your own domain to your Zapia website takes two simple A records. Here's where to find your DNS zone, exactly what to add, and how to verify it worked.
What is a DNS zone?
A DNS zoneis the set of rules that tells the internet where your domain points. When someone types your domain into their browser, their computer asks the DNS system "which server should I talk to?" — and your zone holds the answer.
Each rule is called a record. To point your domain at your Zapia website, you only need to add two simple records of type A, which map a name to an IP address.
Find your DNS zone
Log in to the provider where you purchased your domain. Look for a section named DNS, DNS Zone, Zone Editor, or Advanced DNS. The exact wording depends on your registrar:
- OVH — Web Cloud → Domain names → your domain → DNS zone
- Gandi — Domain → DNS Records
- Cloudflare — your domain → DNS → Records
- GoDaddy — My Products → Domain → DNS → Manage Zones
- Namecheap — Domain List → Manage → Advanced DNS
The records to add
Add the following two A records. They both point to the same Zapia IP address — one for the root domain (@) and one for the www version.
| Type | Name / Host | Value | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | @ | 20.19.221.17 | Auto |
| A | www | 20.19.221.17 | Auto |
- Type — always
Afor these records. - Name / Host —
@means the root domain itself (e.g.monsite.com).wwwcoverswww.monsite.com. - Value — the Zapia IP address:
20.19.221.17. - TTL — leave it on
Autoor the default value.
Step by step
The flow is the same on every registrar, only the labels differ:
- Open the DNS zone editor for your domain.
- Click Add a record (or Add).
- Choose type A.
- In the name/host field, enter
@and set the value to20.19.221.17. Save. - Add a second A record with the name
wwwand the same value20.19.221.17. Save.
@ or www (for example an old A or CNAME record pointing somewhere else), edit it instead of adding a duplicate — two conflicting records for the same name will cause unpredictable behaviour.Propagation & verification
DNS changes are not instant. They need to propagate across the internet, which usually takes a few minutes but can take up to a few hours depending on your registrar and the previous TTL.
Once you have saved the records, go back to your Zapia domain page and click Verify. Zapia will check that both records resolve to the right IP and, once confirmed, automatically put your site online with HTTPS.
Troubleshooting
- Still pending after an hour — double-check the value is exactly
20.19.221.17with no trailing space, and that the type isA(notAAAAorCNAME). - www doesn't work but the root does — you likely forgot the second record, or it was saved as a
CNAMEinstead of anA. - An old site still shows up — your browser or network may have cached the old DNS answer. Wait for the previous TTL to expire, or test from a different network.