How to Update Your DNS When Launching a New Website

When your new site is ready to go live, your DNS provider needs to be updated to point your domain to the new server. This guide explains what changes are needed and how to make them — whether your DNS is managed through a modern provider like Cloudflare or an older one like GoDaddy or Network Solutions.

What Needs to Change

Two DNS records must be updated — one for your root domain (yourdomain.com) and one for the www version (www.yourdomain.com). Both records are required. Updating only one will make the site unreachable for visitors depending on how they type your URL.

We default to www as the canonical address for your website. If you'd like to understand why, see: Why We Recommend Using WWW for Your Website Instead of the Naked Apex Domain.

Option 1: CNAME Records (Preferred)

If your DNS provider supports CNAME flattening (Cloudflare does; most older providers do not), set both records as CNAMEs pointing to the hostname your host provided:

Note: The root domain (@) CNAME requires CNAME flattening support. This works seamlessly in Cloudflare. If your provider doesn't support it, use Option 2 below.

Option 2: A Records (Works Everywhere)

If your provider is older — GoDaddy, Network Solutions, AT&T, and similar — use A records instead. Your 37solutions contact will provide you with the correct IP addresses. Enter them as follows:

Important: Add both records — the www entry and the root domain entry. Do not skip the www record.

After Making the Changes

DNS changes typically take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to propagate, depending on your provider and your previous TTL (time-to-live) settings. During that window, some visitors may still see the old site while others see the new one — this is normal.

Once the changes are in place, reply to your support ticket and let us know. We'll verify both records are resolving correctly and confirm the site is live.

Not Sure Who Manages Your DNS?

Many businesses aren't sure whether their DNS is handled by their domain registrar, their hosting provider, or a third party like Cloudflare. If you're not certain, just let us know your domain name and we can look it up for you.