When a website or email stops working after a domain or hosting change, the cause is very often DNS: the domain points to the wrong nameservers, a record is missing, or an old answer is still cached. This guide gives you a fixed order of checks, the commands to run, and what each result means, so you can find the fault in minutes instead of guessing.
Work from the top down: check that the domain is active, then which nameservers answer for it, then the records at those nameservers, then caching on your own device. Use dig (macOS, Linux) or nslookup (Windows) rather than a browser, because a browser can show a cached page. Most problems are records added at a provider that the nameservers don't point to, or a change that hasn't spread yet. DNS changes usually take effect within a few hours and can take up to 24-48 hours.
This page is for diagnosing problems. To change nameservers or records, follow How do I change my nameservers and How to change your domain DNS settings. For the background, read What is a nameserver and why do I need it.
1. Start with the symptom
| What you see | Most likely cause | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| Site says "server not found" or DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN everywhere | Domain expired or suspended, or no A record | Sections 2 and 4 |
| Site works for others but not for you | Old answer cached on your device or network, or your IP is blocked | Section 6 |
| Old website still shows after a move | Change still spreading, or records edited at the wrong provider | Sections 3 and 5 |
| Website works but email stopped | Nameservers changed without copying MX and TXT records | Section 4 |
| Some visitors see the new site, some the old | Resolvers still holding cached answers | Section 5 |
2. Check the domain is active
If a domain has expired or is suspended, no DNS setting will help. Sign in to the client area and open My domains. Check the status and the expiry date. If there is an unpaid renewal invoice, pay it first. Our renewals work by invoice: nothing is charged to a saved card automatically, so an unpaid invoice means the domain was not renewed. See How auto-renewal works.
A public WHOIS or RDAP lookup also shows the status and expiry date of any domain, including one registered elsewhere.
3. Check which nameservers answer
Nameservers decide where every other DNS record is read from. Records saved anywhere else are never used.
dig NS yourbusiness.in +short
dig NS yourbusiness.in @8.8.8.8 +shortOn Windows:
nslookup -type=ns yourbusiness.in
nslookup -type=ns yourbusiness.in 8.8.8.8Compare the answer with what you set in the domain's Nameservers tab in the client area, and with the values in your hosting welcome email or on your hosting service page. Never copy nameserver names from an old article or forum post: they differ between servers.
- The answer matches: go on to section 4.
- The answer still shows the old nameservers: the change is still spreading. Wait a few hours and check again. After 48 hours, look for a typo in the Nameservers tab.
- No answer at all: the domain may be inactive (section 2), or the nameservers are misspelled.
4. Check the records at those nameservers
Once the nameservers are right, look at the records they serve.
dig A yourbusiness.in +short # website IPv4 address
dig AAAA yourbusiness.in +short # website IPv6 address, if any
dig CNAME www.yourbusiness.in +short # where www points
dig MX yourbusiness.in +short # mail servers
dig TXT yourbusiness.in +short # SPF and verification recordsOn Windows, use nslookup -type=a, -type=mx or -type=txt in the same way. Don't use dig ANY: most DNS servers no longer return every record for it, so an almost empty answer tells you nothing.
What to look for:
- The A record shows an old IP address. Update it at the provider your nameservers point to. For Domain India hosting, the correct IP address is in your hosting service page in the client area (Manage › Access).
- The A record is right, but the site is still wrong. Check
wwwas well. Visitors type both forms, so both need a record. - No MX records, or the old provider's MX records. Email goes nowhere, or to the old mailbox. This is the classic result of switching nameservers without re-creating the mail records.
- Two SPF records. A domain may have only one
v=spf1TXT record. Merge them into one. - An AAAA record that points to an old server. Visitors with IPv6 reach the old site while everyone else reaches the new one. Remove or update it.
If you use Domain India hosting nameservers, you edit these records in your control panel's DNS editor, for example the Zone Editor in cPanel. The canonical record guide is How to change your domain DNS settings.
5. Allow for caching (propagation)
DNS answers are cached by internet providers and devices for as long as each record's TTL (time to live) allows. That is why a change can reach one network before another. A record change usually spreads within the old record's TTL; a nameserver change usually takes effect within a few hours and can take up to 24-48 hours. There is no guaranteed time.
To see whether the change has spread, ask more than one public resolver:
dig A yourbusiness.in @1.1.1.1 +short
dig A yourbusiness.in @8.8.8.8 +shortOnline propagation checkers, which query resolvers in many countries at once, are a useful second opinion. If you plan a move, lower the TTL to 300 seconds a day in advance, so the switch spreads within minutes.
6. Rule out your own device and network
If the domain resolves correctly for public resolvers but not on your computer, clear the local cache.
# Windows (Command Prompt as administrator)
ipconfig /flushdns
# macOS
sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
# Linux with systemd-resolved
resolvectl flush-cachesBrowsers keep their own cache too. Try a private window, another browser, or your phone on mobile data. Restarting your router clears the router's cache.
If the site times out from your office connection but opens on mobile data, the cause may not be DNS at all: your IP address may be blocked by the server firewall after failed logins. See I can't reach my server: have I been blocked?.
7. What DNS error codes mean
| Error | Meaning | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| NXDOMAIN | The name does not exist | Spelling, domain status (section 2), a missing record for that subdomain |
| SERVFAIL | The resolver could not get a valid answer | Nameservers that don't answer for the domain, or a DNSSEC mismatch |
| REFUSED | The server declined to answer | The nameservers are not set up to serve this domain |
| Timeout | No reply | Nameservers unreachable; test with another resolver |
A SERVFAIL that appears after a nameserver or hosting move is often DNSSEC: the registry still holds a DS record for the old provider's keys. The client area has no DS-record management, so open a support ticket if you think this applies.
8. When to contact us
Contact support if the Nameservers tab and the dig NS answer still disagree after 48 hours, if you see SERVFAIL, or if the domain shows as suspended. Open a new support ticket (or use the public form) with the domain name, what you changed and when, and the output of dig NS and dig A. Live chat is available 24/7, and tickets get a first response within 15 minutes; how long a fix takes depends on the problem. There is no phone support.
How do I check which nameservers my domain uses?
Run dig NS yourdomain +short on macOS or Linux, or nslookup -type=ns yourdomain on Windows. The hostnames in the answer are the nameservers currently serving your domain's DNS. For a domain registered with Domain India, compare them with the Nameservers tab in the client area.
How long do DNS changes take to work?
Record changes usually spread within the old record's TTL. Nameserver changes usually take effect within a few hours and can take up to 24-48 hours, because resolvers cache old answers. There is no guaranteed time.
I added a DNS record but nothing changed. Why?
The record was probably added at a provider that your nameservers don't point to. Records only work on the nameservers that answer for your domain. Check with dig NS first, then add the record there.
My website works but email stopped after I changed nameservers. What happened?
Changing nameservers moves all of your DNS. If the new provider has no MX, SPF and other mail records, email stops arriving. Re-create the mail records at the new provider.
Why does my site work on mobile data but not on my office Wi-Fi?
Either your office network still holds an old DNS answer, which clearing the cache fixes, or the server firewall has blocked your office IP address after failed logins. If clearing the cache does not help, send your public IP address to support.
What does SERVFAIL mean?
The resolver could not get a valid answer. Common causes are nameservers that do not serve the domain and a DNSSEC record left over from a previous provider. Open a support ticket if you see it.
Ready to fix it? Check your domain in My domains, follow How to change your domain DNS settings for record edits, or send us the dig output in a support ticket.
Send the domain name, what you changed and when, and the output of the NS and A lookups, and our team will check it for you.
Open a support ticket