DNS is the phonebook that turns your domain into a website, an inbox, and every service in between — and on Hostinger you manage it from the DNS Zone Editor inside hPanel. This guide explains what each record type does, how to point a domain at Hostinger (or point a Hostinger domain elsewhere), how transfers work, and how to fix the DNS problems that actually happen.
Where DNS lives on Hostinger
If your domain is registered with Hostinger, its DNS is managed in hPanel → Domains → DNS / Nameservers → DNS Zone Editor. That page lists every DNS record for the domain and lets you add, edit, or delete them. (New to domains on Hostinger? Start with our domains overview.) If your domain is registered elsewhere but your site is hosted on Hostinger, you have two choices: change your domain’s nameservers to Hostinger’s (so Hostinger controls all DNS), or keep DNS at your registrar and point individual records at Hostinger. Both work; the trade-offs are below.
DNS record types, in plain English
| Record | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | Points your domain to a server’s IPv4 address — this is what makes the website load | @ → 192.0.2.44 |
| AAAA | Same as A, but for IPv6 addresses | @ → 2001:db8::1 |
| CNAME | Points a subdomain at another domain name (an alias) | www → yourdomain.com |
| MX | Tells the world where your email goes — required for any mailbox | @ → mx1.titan.email (priority 10) |
| TXT | Free-text record used for verification and email security (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) | @ → v=spf1 include:_spf.hostinger.com ~all |
| NS | Declares which nameservers control the domain’s DNS | Set at your registrar, not in the zone |
| SRV / CAA | Service discovery and certificate-authority restrictions — rarely touched by beginners | Usually left at defaults |
For most site owners, only four records ever matter: A (website), CNAME (www), MX (email), and TXT (email security). Everything else can stay at defaults.
Connecting a domain to Hostinger hosting
Option 1: Change nameservers (recommended for beginners)
At your domain registrar, replace the nameservers with Hostinger’s (shown in hPanel under your hosting plan’s details). Once the change propagates, Hostinger manages all your DNS automatically — the website, email, and subdomains all configure themselves. Downside: propagation takes time (see below), and every DNS change now happens in hPanel.
Option 2: Point an A record (keep DNS where it is)
Leave your nameservers at your current registrar or DNS provider (e.g., Cloudflare) and add two records: an A record for @ pointing at your Hostinger server’s IP address, and a CNAME for www pointing at your domain. Find the server IP in hPanel under Hosting → Details. This is the right choice if you use Cloudflare’s CDN/security or you simply do not want to move DNS management.
Either way, add the domain in hPanel afterwards via Websites → Add Website (or assign it to an existing site), or visitors will hit the server and find nothing.
Setting up email DNS (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
Email is where DNS mistakes hurt most — a wrong MX record means silently lost mail. For Hostinger’s Titan-powered Business Email:
- MX records: mx1.titan.email (priority 10) and mx2.titan.email (priority 20). Delete any MX records pointing at a previous provider — leftover MX records are the #1 cause of “some emails arrive, some vanish.”
- SPF: a TXT record with v=spf1 include:spf.titan.email ~all. If you already have an SPF record, add the include to it — never create two SPF records, which breaks validation.
- DKIM: generated inside the Titan admin panel (Email Reputation section), then pasted as a TXT record at the host DKIM gives you. Verify until the status shows verified.
- DMARC: a TXT record at _dmarc, e.g. v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected] to start — it tells receivers what to do with mail that fails checks and where to send reports.
If email goes to spam after setup, the cause is almost always a missing or duplicated SPF record or an unverified DKIM — re-check those two first. Our Gmail setup guide walks through connecting these mailboxes to the Gmail app.
Transferring a domain to (or from) Hostinger
Transferring in: get the domain at your current registrar, get the EPP/auth code, and start the transfer in hPanel. Transfers typically take 5–7 days and include a one-year renewal extension. The domain must be more than 60 days old and not locked.
Transferring out: the same process in reverse — unlock in hPanel, get the EPP code, initiate at the new registrar. ICANN rules prohibit transfers within 60 days of registration or a previous transfer.
Should you consolidate? Keeping domain and hosting with Hostinger means one bill, one support chat, and automatic DNS. Keeping the domain at a specialist registrar (Porkbun, Cloudflare) is usually $5–$10/year cheaper at renewal for a .com. There is no technical penalty either way — it is purely a cost-vs-convenience call. See our .com price and renewal guide for the full renewal math.
Subdomains and wildcard DNS
A subdomain is just another DNS record: add an A record for blog pointing at your server IP and blog.yourdomain.com exists. Common patterns: www (the classic alias), mail (webmail), shop (store), app (web app). A wildcard record (* → server IP) catches every subdomain you have not defined explicitly — handy for SaaS-style setups where each customer gets their own subdomain, but slightly less tidy for security audits since it answers for names you never created. On Hostinger, each subdomain also needs to be added as a website/subdomain in hPanel so the server knows what to serve; the DNS record alone is only half the job.
Self-hosters take note: if you run n8n or OpenClaw on a Hostinger VPS, the standard pattern is an A record for something like n8n.yourdomain.com pointing at the VPS IP, then a reverse proxy with automatic SSL on the server. The DNS side takes two minutes; the server side is where the real work lives.
DNS troubleshooting: the problems that actually happen
DNS problems feel catastrophic and are almost always trivial. Below are the five failures we see repeatedly, in order of frequency — work through them top to bottom before contacting support, because the fix is usually a single record.
“I changed DNS hours ago and nothing happened”
Normal. DNS propagation takes up to 24–48 hours worldwide, though it is often minutes. Check with a propagation checker before assuming something is broken — and clear your local DNS cache, because your computer may be showing you the old answer.
“The site works but email stopped”
You changed nameservers or A records and the MX records did not come along. When you move DNS, email records must be recreated at the new DNS host. Always copy MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records before switching nameservers.
“www works but the bare domain doesn’t” (or vice versa)
You set one record but not the other. You need both: an A record for @ and a CNAME (or A) for www. Then make sure your site’s canonical URL in hPanel/WordPress matches whichever version you prefer.
“SSL error after pointing the domain”
Hostinger issues the free SSL certificate automatically once the domain resolves to the server — give it a few hours after DNS propagates. If it persists, check that no conflicting AAAA record or old CDN record is intercepting traffic.
“Domain shows a registrar parking page”
The domain is registered but has no DNS pointing at hosting yet — either the nameservers were never changed or the A record was never added. Follow the “connecting a domain” section above.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I edit DNS for a Hostinger domain?
In hPanel: Domains → DNS / Nameservers → DNS Zone Editor. If your domain is registered elsewhere, you edit DNS at that registrar instead — unless you pointed its nameservers at Hostinger.
How long does DNS propagation take?
Up to 24–48 hours globally, though most locations update within minutes to a few hours. Use an online propagation checker to see which regions have the new records, and clear your local DNS cache if your own computer shows the old site.
Should I use Hostinger’s nameservers or Cloudflare?
Hostinger’s nameservers are simpler — everything configures itself. Cloudflare adds a CDN, DDoS protection, and faster global DNS, at the cost of managing DNS in two places. For a first site, Hostinger’s nameservers; for a site you expect to scale, Cloudflare in front of Hostinger is a common setup.
What DNS records do I need for Hostinger email?
Two MX records (mx1/mx2.titan.email), an SPF TXT record including spf.titan.email, a DKIM TXT record from the Titan admin panel, and ideally a DMARC record. Never run two SPF records — merge them into one.
Can I transfer my domain away from Hostinger?
Yes. Get the domain in hPanel, get the EPP/auth code, and start the transfer at the new registrar. ICANN’s 60-day rule applies: no transfers within 60 days of registration or a previous transfer.
Will changing nameservers break my email?
It will unless you recreate the email DNS records (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC) at the new DNS host. Copy them before switching, then verify mail flow after — send yourself a test from an external address like Gmail.