How do I point my domain at my website (DNS)?

DNS records are what connect a domain name to a server. When someone visits your domain, DNS tells their browser where to go. To point your domain at your website, you need two pieces of information before touching anything: (1) the target value your hosting provider gives you — either an IP address or a hostname — and (2) where your domain's DNS is actually managed. That might be your domain registrar's DNS panel, or a separate DNS provider if you have already delegated nameservers. Make sure you are editing records in the right place, or your changes will have no effect.

1. Get the target value from your hosting provider. It will be either an IP address (for an A record) or a hostname (for a CNAME or ALIAS record). Your host's documentation will tell you which.
2. Find where your DNS is managed — your domain registrar's panel, or a third-party DNS provider if you have pointed nameservers elsewhere. Log in to that panel.
3. To point your root domain (example.com): add or update an A record with the IP address your host provided. If your host gave you a hostname instead and your DNS provider supports ALIAS or ANAME records, use one of those — a standard CNAME cannot be placed at the root domain.
4. To point a subdomain (e.g. www.example.com): add or update a CNAME record pointing to the hostname your host gave you, or an A record pointing to the IP.
5. Set your TTL to 300 seconds (5 minutes) while making changes — this limits how long a mistake stays cached. You can raise it later once everything is confirmed working.
6. Wait for the change to propagate. How long this takes depends on the TTL of the record you replaced, not a fixed clock. Low TTLs mean changes show up within minutes; a previously high TTL means the old answer may be cached for hours.