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My domain name no longer points to my site

The site is intact on the server, but the address no longer leads where it should. Between the registrar, the nameservers and the hosting configuration, three independent layers translate your domain name into a machine address. One badly set layer is enough, and the screen you see does not say which.

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Three layers, three different owners

The first layer is the registrar where the domain is reserved. It manages the expiry date and designates the authoritative nameservers. A domain that has expired, or whose holder failed to answer a verification request, is suspended here, and nothing further works.

The second layer is the DNS zone hosted on those nameservers. It holds the records mapping the name to a machine address, and those directing mail. Changing host without updating this zone leaves the domain pointing at the old server — which still answers, sometimes with the old version of the site.

The third layer is the configuration of the destination server. A server hosting several sites must know which one to serve for which name. If the name is not declared there, you get the host’s default page, or the neighbour’s site.

What each display means

  • Host welcome page: resolution works, the server answers, but the domain is not attached to the right site on that server.
  • Old version of the site: the DNS zone still points at the old hosting, or your machine is holding the previous answer.
  • Address not found: resolution itself fails — expired domain, wrong nameservers, or an empty zone.
  • The site works with www but not without, or the reverse: only one of the two records was updated.

The hosting migration trap

The most frequent scenario I meet is this. The site is copied to the new server, the DNS zone is edited, and for several hours visitors are split between the two servers without anyone realising. Orders placed on the old server during that window do not exist on the new one, and are discovered much later.

  • Lowering the record retention time several days before the switch shortens that window.
  • Setting the old server read-only during the switch prevents lost orders.
  • Mail records are independent from site records: forgetting them cuts company email without touching the site.

Carry on with the right page

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Frequently asked questions

The site shows for some visitors and not others. Is that normal?
For a few hours after a record change, yes: each access provider keeps the previous answer for a set time. If the difference lasts days, a record has been forgotten somewhere.
Can I change host with no downtime?
Yes, by preparing the switch: lower the retention time, take a full copy, do a final database sync, then change the records. Downtime then shrinks to the length of the final sync.
What happens if my domain expires?
The site becomes unreachable and email stops. There is then a period during which the holder can still recover it, usually with a fee. After that it becomes available to anyone.
My address works with www but not without. Why?
Those are two separate records in the zone. Both must exist, and one must redirect to the other so the same site is not reachable at two different addresses.
Who should I contact first?
The registrar if the address cannot be found, the host if a page appears but the wrong one. The screen you get names the right contact.

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