Title: Point DNS for a domain to VIP
Author: WordPress VIP Documentation
Published: December 29, 2021
Last modified: October 16, 2025

---

 1. [Domains](https://docs.wpvip.com/domains/)
 2. Point DNS for a domain to VIP

#  Point DNS for a domain to VIP

Once [a site is ready to launch](https://docs.wpvip.com/launch-a-site/prepare-for-launch/),
the DNS for a site’s new domain must be updated with the DNS provider and pointed
at VIP for the site to be publicly available at that domain.

 * DNS settings for `ALIAS`, `ANAME`, and `A Record` are provided for root domains.
 * DNS settings for `CNAME` records are provided for subdomains. 
 * VIP recommends using** **`ALIAS`** **records** **to route DNS for root domains
   whenever possible.

**Note**

A different set of [DNS records for a custom domain are required in order to send emails](https://docs.wpvip.com/wordpress-on-vip/email/send-from-custom-domain/)
from a WordPress environment with the domain instead of the default email address`
donotreply@wpvip.com`.

## Access

**Prerequisite**

 * [The domain has been added to the VIP Dashboard](https://docs.wpvip.com/map-a-domain/).
 * [Verification for the domain](https://docs.wpvip.com/domains/verification/) has
   been successfully completed.
 * The user has the ability to add and edit DNS records with the domain’s DNS host
   provider.
 * If a site has a reverse proxy configuration, review [the set up instructions](https://docs.wpvip.com/configure-a-reverse-proxy/)
   before updating DNS for the domain.

The DNS settings for a domain are available only after [a domain has been added](https://docs.wpvip.com/map-a-domain/)
to the VIP Dashboard and [verification for the domain](https://docs.wpvip.com/domains/verification/)
has been successfully completed.

Domains have specific [application](https://docs.wpvip.com/application/) and [environment](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-platform/environments/)
associations.

 1. Navigate to the [VIP Dashboard](https://dashboard.wpvip.com/) for the application
    that the domain is associated with.
 2. Select the environment that the domain will point to (e.g., production, develop)
    from the dropdown located at the upper left of the dashboard.
 3. Select “**Domains & TLS**” from the sidebar navigation at the left of the screen.
 4. Select the “•••” button located to the right of the domain.
 5. Select “**DNS Instructions**” from the overflow menu.
 6. The “**Setup your DNS**” panel in the VIP Dashboard provides the values to point
    a domain to VIP using `ALIAS`, `ANAME`, or `A Record`s for root domains, and `CNAME`
    records for subdomains. Select and copy a record value from the “**Setup your DNS**”
    panel and follow the instructions from the domain’s DNS provider to add or update
    a new DNS entry.

![](https://docs.wpvip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/DNS-instructions.png?
w=1024)

Example screenshot of the DNS Instructions provided in the VIP Dashboard

## DNS propagation

Once the DNS settings for the domain have been updated with the DNS provider, the
speed at which the updated DNS will fully take effect is dependent on the domain’s
Time To Live (TTL). The `dig` command can be used to [check the domain’s current DNS record TTL](https://docs.wpvip.com/check-dns-record-time-to-live/),
and any updates to a domain’s TTL must be made with the DNS provider. DNS can take
up to a full 24 hours to propagate around the world, and a service like [DNS Checker](https://dnschecker.org/)
can be used to track progress of propagation.

## Confirm DNS settings

The status of a domain’s DNS settings are displayed in the column labeled “DNS”.
If an unexpected DNS status is displayed, use the `dig` command to confirm the domain’s
DNS settings and make sure that they match the values that were provided by VIP.

### Command line

The  [`dig <domain>`  command](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dig_(command)) can 
be run in a terminal to confirm that the DNS is correctly pointed to VIP:

    ```wp-block-preformatted
    dig www.example.com
    ```

Output from the command will display settings for the domain’s `ALIAS`, `ANAME`,`
A record`, or `CNAME`. The settings in the output should match the setting information
provided for the domain in the VIP Dashboard.

### VIP Dashboard

Each domain listed in the Domains panel of the VIP Dashboard will display one of
the following status messages in the **DNS** column for the domain’s DNS settings:

 * ⚠️** Unavailable**: VIP’s status service is not available to respond.
 * ❌ **Route not detected**: DNS is not pointed to VIP, and there is no route for
   an HTTP request. Updates to the domain’s DNS settings are needed for the domain
   to successfully point to VIP.
 * ✅ **Pointed to VIP**: The domain’s DNS is successfully pointed to VIP
 * ✅ **Route found**: The domain’s DNS is not pointed to VIP, but [the `x-powered-by` HTTP response header added by VIP](https://docs.wpvip.com/infrastructure/http-headers/)
   has been detected. This indicates that there _is_ a route for an HTTP request.
   This status is often returned for domains that are assigned to a site with a 
   [reverse proxy configuration](https://docs.wpvip.com/reverse-proxy/).

![](https://docs.wpvip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/Domains-TLS.png?w=
1024)

Domains listed in the **Domains & TLS** panel of the VIP Dashboard and their DNS
status messages

Last updated: October 16, 2025