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 IONOS DNS
IONOS (formerly 1&1 Internet) is a major hosting and domain provider. DNS records are managed through the Domains & SSL section of your IONOS control panel.
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.
Step-by-Step: Update A Record (Root Domain)
- Sign in to your IONOS account.
- Navigate to Domains & SSL.
- Click the three-dot menu (Actions) next to your domain.
- Select DNS.
- Click Add Record and select A.
- Leave the hostname blank for the root domain.
- Enter the IP address from Orchid in the Points to field.
- Set TTL (default is 1 hour).
- Click Save.
To edit an existing A record, click the pencil icon under Actions next to the record, then click Edit record.
Step-by-Step: Update CNAME Record (www subdomain)
- On the DNS settings page, click Add Record and select CNAME.
- Enter www in the Hostname field.
- Enter the Orchid hostname in the Points to field.
- Click Save.
Important IONOS Notes
- No CNAME on root domain. CNAME records can only be set on subdomains.
- CNAME records cannot coexist with other record types on the same hostname.
- Delete default hosting records. If you previously had IONOS hosting configured, default records may need to be deleted before adding custom ones.
TTL and Propagation
Default TTL is 1 hour (3600 seconds). Changes take effect at IONOS immediately. Full global propagation is typically under 1 hour but can take 12–48 hours in edge cases.
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.