Orchid eCommerce DNS Setup: After your Orchid eCommerce mock website is approved, follow these steps to point your domain to the Orchid hosting environment. Your Orchid implementation consultant will provide the exact IP address or CNAME target to use.
About HostGator DNS
HostGator uses cPanel for hosting management. DNS records are managed through the Zone Editor in cPanel. If your domain is registered with HostGator, you can also manage DNS through the Customer Portal.
Before You Start
- Confirm you have admin/owner access to your domain registrar account.
- Get the target IP address (for A records) or CNAME hostname (for CNAME records) from your Orchid implementation consultant.
- Note your current DNS records before making changes — screenshot or write them down as a backup.
- If you use email on this domain (e.g., you@yourdomain.com), do not change MX records — only modify A and/or CNAME records as instructed.
- DNS changes can take 15 minutes to 48 hours to fully propagate worldwide.
Option A: cPanel Zone Editor
- Sign in to cPanel (your hosting control panel).
- Scroll to the Domains section.
- Click Zone Editor.
- Find your domain and click Manage.
- To edit an A record: find the existing record, click Edit, enter the Orchid IP address, and click Save Record.
- To add a new A record: click + A Record, enter the name and IP address, click Add.
Option B: Customer Portal (HostGator-registered domains)
- Sign in to the HostGator Customer Portal.
- Click Domains in the left menu.
- Select your domain.
- Click Advanced Tools.
- Click Manage next to Advanced DNS Records.
- Add or edit records as needed.
Updating the CNAME Record (www)
- In Zone Editor, click + CNAME Record or find the existing www CNAME and click Edit.
- Enter www as the Name and the Orchid hostname as the Destination.
- Click Save Record.
Important HostGator Notes
- HostGator nameservers must be active. DNS edits in cPanel only work if HostGator's nameservers are in use. If you use third-party nameservers, edit DNS at that provider instead.
- CNAME cannot point to an IP. Use an A record for IP addresses.
- Use the Shared IP Address shown in cPanel General Information, not the server IP from your welcome email — but for Orchid, use the IP your consultant provides.
- Custom TTL values are effectively ignored by HostGator — the default 14400 seconds (4 hours) applies.
TTL and Propagation
Default TTL is 14400 seconds (4 hours). DNS record changes typically propagate in 0–4 hours. Nameserver changes take 24–48 hours.
Verifying Your DNS Changes
After saving your records, verify propagation:
- Open a terminal or command prompt.
- Run:
nslookup yourdomain.com(replace with your actual domain). - Confirm the returned IP address matches the one provided by Orchid.
- Alternatively, use an online tool like whatsmydns.net to check global propagation.
If your domain still shows the old site after 48 hours, clear your browser cache, try an incognito window, or contact your Orchid consultant.
Need help? If you're uncomfortable making DNS changes, your Orchid implementation consultant can walk you through it on a screen-share. Submit a support ticket to schedule.