An A record is one of the most important DNS records for connecting a domain name to a website server. If you are using Hostinger and want to point your domain or subdomain to a specific IPv4 address, you can create an A record through the DNS Zone Editor.
In this guide, you will learn what an A record does, how to find your server IP address, how to add an A record for your main domain or a subdomain, and how to fix common DNS errors.
1. What Is an A Record?
An A record, also known as an Address Record, is a DNS record that connects a domain name or subdomain to an IPv4 address.
Web servers use IP addresses to identify where website content is hosted. However, visitors normally enter a domain name instead of a numerical address. An A record helps DNS translate that domain name into the correct IPv4 address.
For example, suppose your website is hosted on a server with an IPv4 address. You can create an A record that points example.com to that address.
Name: @
Points to: [Your server IPv4 address]
TTL: 14400
Here, the @ symbol represents the root domain. The Points to field contains the IPv4 address of the destination server.
A record vs. AAAA record
Both A and AAAA records connect hostnames to IP addresses, but they use different IP versions.
| Feature | A Record | AAAA Record |
|---|---|---|
| IP version | IPv4 | IPv6 |
| Address format | Example: 192.0.2.10 | Example: 2001:db8::10 |
| Purpose | Points a hostname to an IPv4 address. | Points a hostname to an IPv6 address. |
| Common use | Connecting websites to IPv4 hosting servers. | Connecting websites to IPv6-enabled servers. |
2. Why Do You Need an A Record?
You may need to create or update an A record when connecting a domain to a hosting server or changing where a website is hosted.
Common situations include:
- Connecting a domain to hosting: Point your domain to the IPv4 address provided by your hosting company.
- Changing hosting providers: Update the A record when your website moves to a different server.
- Creating a subdomain: Direct a subdomain such as blog.example.com to a separate server.
- Connecting an application: Point a hostname to the server where your application is running.
- Fixing an incorrect destination: Replace an outdated IP address with the correct one supplied by your hosting provider.
3. Things to Check Before Adding an A Record
Before changing your DNS settings, check a few important details to avoid pointing your domain to the wrong server.
- You have access to your Hostinger account or the active DNS provider.
- Your domain is active and not expired or suspended.
- You have the correct destination IPv4 address.
- You know whether the record is for the root domain or a subdomain.
- You have checked for existing A or AAAA records that may conflict.
- You have checked whether a CNAME record already exists for the same hostname.
- You have saved important DNS records before making changes.
- You have checked whether Hostinger CDN is enabled if you are changing the root-domain A record.
Check your domain's nameservers
DNS records must be edited where the active DNS zone is managed. If your domain uses Hostinger nameservers, you can manage its DNS through Hostinger. If it uses another provider's nameservers, make the change through that provider's DNS management panel.
Hostinger also allows you to access DNS settings for eligible external domains that point to Hostinger nameservers.
4. How to Find Your Hosting IP Address
Before creating an A record, you need the IPv4 address of the server where your website or application is hosted.
Never guess this address. Use the IP supplied by your hosting provider or the destination service.
Find the IP address in Hostinger
Open Your Hosting Dashboard
Go to Websites and find the website connected to your hosting plan. Click Manage site to open its hosting dashboard.
Find Your Hosting Details
Look for the hosting plan or server details section. Depending on your plan and dashboard version, the IP address may appear in the hosting information or website details.
Copy the IPv4 Address
Copy the IPv4 address shown in your account. This is the value you will enter in the Points to field when creating the A record.
5. How to Access DNS Management in Hostinger
Hostinger provides different ways to open DNS management, depending on whether you have a hosting plan or only a domain registered with Hostinger.
Method 1: Through the Websites section
- Log in to your Hostinger account.
- Open the Websites section.
- Find your website and click Manage site.
- Open Advanced from the hosting dashboard.
- Select DNS Zone Editor.
Method 2: Through the Domains section
- Log in to Hostinger hPanel.
- Open Domains from the sidebar.
- Select DNS.
- Choose the domain you want to manage.
- Open the DNS records section.
Both methods provide access to DNS management when the domain and account meet the required conditions.
6. How to Add an A Record on Hostinger
After finding your destination IP address and opening the DNS management page, you can create a new A record.
Open the DNS Zone Editor
Log in to Hostinger and navigate to your domain's DNS records page using either of the methods explained above.
Find Manage DNS Records
Locate the section where you can create a new DNS record. You should see fields for the record type, name, destination, and TTL.
Select A as the Record Type
Open the record type dropdown and select A. This tells DNS that the record will point to an IPv4 address.
Enter the Record Name
The Name field identifies which hostname the A record applies to.
- Enter @ for the root domain.
- Enter blog for blog.example.com.
- Enter shop for shop.example.com.
- Enter * for a wildcard hostname where appropriate.
Enter the Destination IP Address
In the Points to field, enter the IPv4 address provided by your hosting provider or application service.
Make sure the address is entered correctly. An A record must contain an IPv4 address, not a domain name or IPv6 address.
Set the TTL Value
TTL stands for Time to Live. It determines how long DNS resolvers can cache the record before checking for updated information.
If your provider has not specified a different value, Hostinger's default of 14400 seconds (four hours) can generally be used.
Click Add Record
Review the record type, name, destination IP address, and TTL. Once everything is correct, click Add Record.
The new entry should appear in your DNS records list.
Example of a completed A record
The following example shows how an A record may look in Hostinger. The IP address is only an illustration and should not be copied for your actual website.
Name: @
Points to: 192.0.2.10
TTL: 14400
In this example, the root domain points to the IPv4 address 192.0.2.10. Replace it with the real IP address provided by your hosting service.
7. How to Add an A Record for Your Root Domain
The root domain is the main version of your domain without a subdomain prefix. For example, in example.com, the root domain is example.com.
To point your root domain to a new IPv4 address, create an A record with the following structure:
Name: @
Points to: [Your destination IPv4 address]
TTL: 14400
The @ symbol represents the root domain. After saving the record, check whether any existing A or AAAA records conflict with your intended configuration.
If your website also needs to work with the www version, check the instructions from your hosting provider. The www hostname may use a CNAME record or its own A record.
8. How to Add an A Record for a Subdomain
You can also use an A record to point a subdomain to a different server. This is useful when you want to host a blog, shop, application, or development environment separately from your main website.
For example, suppose your main website is example.com and you want blog.example.com to point to another server.
In this case, create an A record with the following values:
Name: blog
Points to: [Blog server IPv4 address]
TTL: 14400
You do not need to enter the complete blog.example.com address in the Name field if the editor expects only the hostname prefix. Enter blog.
Examples of subdomain A records
| Subdomain | Name Field | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| blog.example.com | blog | Separate blog server. |
| shop.example.com | shop | Online store server. |
| app.example.com | app | Web application server. |
| dev.example.com | dev | Development environment. |
Each hostname can point to the appropriate IPv4 address supplied by its destination server.
9. How to Edit or Delete an A Record
If an existing A record points to the wrong IP address, you can update it through Hostinger's DNS management interface.
How to edit an A record
- Open your domain's DNS management page in Hostinger.
- Find the A record you want to update.
- Click Edit next to the record.
- Change the Name, Points to, or TTL value as needed.
- Verify the destination IPv4 address.
- Click Update to save the changes.
How to delete an A record
- Open the DNS Zone Editor.
- Find the A record you no longer need.
- Click the Delete or trash icon.
- Confirm the deletion if prompted.
10. How Long Does A Record Propagation Take?
After adding or changing an A record, the update may not appear immediately across every DNS resolver. This delay is known as DNS propagation.
Hostinger recommends allowing up to 24 hours for DNS changes to propagate. In many cases, the update becomes visible within a few hours, but the exact time depends on DNS caching and the previous TTL.
How to check whether your A record is working
- Open What's My DNS.
- Enter your domain name.
- Select the A record type.
- Run the DNS lookup.
- Compare the returned IP address with the one you entered in Hostinger.
If some locations still display the old IP address, propagation may not be complete. Check your settings again and allow additional time before making further changes.
11. Common A Record Errors and How to Fix Them
1. Website Is Not Loading After Adding an A Record
This can happen if the destination IP address is incorrect, the DNS update has not propagated, or the website is not configured on the destination server.
- Verify the IPv4 address with your hosting provider.
- Check that the record name is correct.
- Confirm that the domain is connected to the correct hosting account.
- Check for conflicting A or AAAA records.
- Allow time for DNS propagation.
2. Hostinger Does Not Allow You to Add an A Record
If the DNS Zone Editor is unavailable, check whether the domain uses Hostinger nameservers and whether the domain and hosting plan are accessible under the same Hostinger account.
If your domain uses another provider's nameservers, update the A record through that provider's DNS management interface instead.
3. The www Version of Your Website Is Not Working
The root domain and www hostname can have separate DNS records. Adding an A record for @ does not automatically guarantee that www will work.
Check whether www has a CNAME or A record that points to the correct destination. If you want to use an A record for www instead of a CNAME, remove the conflicting CNAME record first.
4. A Record Points to the Wrong IP Address
If the record contains an incorrect IP address, edit it and replace the destination with the correct IPv4 address supplied by your hosting provider.
Do not use an IP address from an old hosting plan or an unrelated website.
5. DNS Changes Are Not Visible Everywhere
This usually happens because of DNS caching and propagation delays.
- Check the A record using an online DNS lookup tool.
- Verify that the correct nameservers are active.
- Check the record at the DNS provider that manages the active zone.
- Wait up to 24 hours before assuming the change has failed.
6. Website Shows an SSL or HTTPS Error
An A record only points a hostname to an IPv4 address. It does not automatically install or activate an SSL certificate.
After confirming that the domain points to the correct server, check your hosting dashboard for SSL status and complete the required certificate setup.
7. Email Stops Working After DNS Changes
Changing an A record should not normally require changing MX records. However, if you modified or deleted other DNS records while making the update, email may be affected.
Check that your email provider's MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are still configured correctly.
Need to update your domain's DNS settings?
Open your Hostinger dashboard to manage A records, point your domain to an IPv4 address, and configure your DNS settings.
Open Hostinger Dashboard12. Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is an A record in Hostinger?
An A record is a DNS record that connects a domain or subdomain to an IPv4 address. It helps browsers find the server hosting your website.
2. How do I add an A record on Hostinger?
Log in to Hostinger, open your domain's DNS management page, select A as the record type, enter the hostname and destination IPv4 address, set the TTL, and click Add Record.
3. What should I enter in the Name field for my main domain?
Enter @ to create an A record for the root domain, such as example.com. For a subdomain like blog.example.com, enter blog.
4. What IP address should I use in an A record?
Use the IPv4 address supplied by the hosting provider or destination service. Do not guess the address or copy an IP from an unrelated website.
5. What is the default TTL for an A record on Hostinger?
Hostinger commonly uses 14400 seconds, which equals four hours. If your service provider does not specify a different value, you can generally use the default shown in the DNS editor.
6. How long does it take for an A record to work?
A record changes can become visible within a few hours, but Hostinger recommends allowing up to 24 hours for DNS propagation.
7. Can I add an A record for a subdomain?
Yes. Enter the subdomain prefix in the Name field and the destination IPv4 address in the Points to field. For example, use blog as the name for blog.example.com.
8. What is the difference between an A record and a CNAME record?
An A record points a hostname directly to an IPv4 address, while a CNAME record makes one hostname an alias of another hostname.
9. Can I have multiple A records for one domain?
Yes. Multiple A records can be configured for the same hostname, such as when a service uses multiple IPv4 addresses. Only add the addresses supplied by your hosting provider or service.
10. Can I delete an existing A record?
Yes. You can find the record in Hostinger's DNS Zone Editor and use the Delete option. Make sure it is no longer required before removing it because deleting an important A record can make your website unavailable.
11. Do I need to change nameservers to add an A record?
No. You can add an A record through whichever provider currently manages your domain's active DNS zone. If Hostinger manages the zone, use its DNS management tools. Otherwise, update the record through your existing DNS provider.
12. Does an A record automatically enable SSL?
No. An A record only directs a hostname to an IPv4 address. You must separately configure and activate an SSL certificate for HTTPS.
Final Thoughts
Adding an A record on Hostinger is a straightforward way to point your domain or subdomain to an IPv4 address. You only need to open the DNS Zone Editor, select the A record type, enter the correct hostname and server IP address, and save the changes.
Before updating your DNS zone, verify the destination IP address and check for existing records that may conflict. If you are changing the root domain's A record, also review Hostinger CDN requirements. After saving the record, allow time for DNS propagation and verify that your website points to the intended server.
Editorial note: Hostinger dashboard navigation, DNS editor options, and CDN requirements may change. Always use the current IP address and configuration instructions supplied by your hosting provider before modifying DNS records.
