How to Add an A Record in cPanel: A Step-by-Step Guide

Add an A Record in cPanel – As a website owner or administrator, managing DNS (Domain Name System) records is an essential part of ensuring your website’s availability and functionality. One of the most commonly used DNS records is the A Record, which maps your domain or subdomain to a specific IP address. If you’re using cPanel, adding an A record is a straightforward process. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to add an A record IP in cPanel.

What is an A Record?

An A (Address) record points a domain or subdomain to a specific IP address. When a user types your domain into their browser, the A record directs them to the correct server IP address where your website is hosted. This is crucial for making your site accessible online.

Steps to Add an A Record in cPanel

To add an A record in cPanel, follow these steps:

Step 1: Log in to cPanel

Start by logging in to your cPanel account. You can typically access cPanel by navigating to https://yourdomain.com/cpanel, replacing “yourdomain.com” with your actual domain name. Once you’re at the login screen, enter your username and password to access your cPanel dashboard.

This will link the domain or subdomain to the specified IP address via the A record.

Step 2: Locate the “Zone Editor” Tool

After logging in, scroll down to the Domains section within cPanel. Look for the Zone Editor icon and click on it. The Zone Editor allows you to manage DNS records for your domain.

Step 3: Select the Domain

In the Zone Editor, you’ll see a list of all domains associated with your cPanel account. Find the domain for which you want to add the A record.

Next to the domain, click the Manage button to view all existing DNS records for that domain.

Step 4: Add a New A Record

Once you are in the DNS records management area, look for the option to Add Record or + Add A Record.

You will need to provide the following details:

• Name: Enter the domain or subdomain you want to map. For example, use:
  • @ or leave it blank if you want to point the root domain (e.g., example.com).
  • www if you want to point www.example.com to the IP address.
  • A specific subdomain like blog if you want to point blog.example.com to the IP address.
• TTL (Time to Live): This is the amount of time the DNS record is cached before checking for updates. You can leave it at the default value (usually 14400 seconds, or 4 hours), or adjust it based on your needs.
• Type: Select A from the drop-down list.
• Address: Enter the IP address you want to associate with this A record (e.g., 103.168.11.178).

Step 5: Save the A Record

Once you’ve entered the information, click Save Record or Add Record (the exact wording may vary depending on your version of cPanel). Your new A record will now be added to the list of DNS records for the domain.

Step 6: Verify the Changes

DNS changes, including adding A records, usually take effect quickly, but it may take up to 24-48 hours for the changes to fully propagate worldwide. To check if your A record is working, you can use tools like DNS Checker to verify that the new IP address is resolving.

Why You Might Need to Add an A Record

There are several reasons why you might need to update or Add an A Record in cPanel:

1. Pointing your domain to a new hosting server: If you have changed web hosts and need to point your domain to a new server IP address, you’ll need to update the A record.
2. Pointing a subdomain to a different server: If you are hosting different sections of your site (e.g., blog.example.com) on different servers, you’ll need to create A records for each subdomain.
3. Setting up an external service: Some services, like email or web applications, might require you to point specific subdomains to their IP addresses.

Conclusion

Managing DNS records can seem technical, but with cPanel’s intuitive interface, adding an A record IP is a simple and quick process. Whether you’re pointing your domain to a new hosting provider or setting up a subdomain, following the steps outlined in this guide will ensure your domain points to the correct server.

If you encounter any issues or need further assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to your hosting provider’s support team.