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 Wix DNS
Wix is primarily a website builder, but many firearms retailers have domains registered through Wix. If you're moving from a Wix site to Orchid eCommerce, you need to update your DNS records to point away from Wix's servers and toward Orchid's hosting environment.
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.
Important: Wix prefers domains to stay connected to their platform. If you only need to point your domain elsewhere, you will need to disconnect your site from the domain in Wix before editing DNS records. Otherwise Wix may override your changes.
Step-by-Step: Access DNS Settings
- Sign in to your Wix account.
- Click your profile icon and select Account Settings.
- Click Domains in the left menu.
- Click the three-dot menu next to your domain.
- Select Manage DNS Records.
Step-by-Step: Update A Record (Root Domain)
- In the DNS Records page, find the A (Host) section.
- Click Edit on the existing A record, or click + Add Record.
- Set Host Name to @.
- Enter the IP address from Orchid in the Points to field.
- Set TTL (default is 1 hour).
- Click Save.
Step-by-Step: Update CNAME Record (www subdomain)
- In the DNS Records page, find the CNAME (Aliases) section.
- Click Edit on the existing www record, or click + Add Record.
- Set Host Name to www.
- Enter the Orchid hostname in the Points to field.
- Click Save.
Disconnecting Your Wix Site
If your domain is currently connected to a Wix website, you must disconnect it first:
- Go to your Wix Dashboard.
- Click Settings in the left sidebar.
- Under Domains, find the connected domain.
- Click the three-dot menu and select Disconnect Domain.
- Now return to DNS management and update your records.
Disconnecting removes Wix's default DNS records, allowing you to set your own.
Important Wix Notes
- Disconnect your Wix site first. Wix auto-manages DNS for connected sites and may override your custom records.
- Wix warns when you edit CNAMEs. A confirmation popup ("Got it") appears — this is normal. Click through it.
- Nameservers are locked. You cannot change NS records in the Wix dashboard. If you need nameserver-level control, transfer the domain to another registrar.
- No CNAME on root domain (@). Use an A record for the root domain.
- Alternative: Transfer your domain. If Wix DNS management feels limited, you can transfer the domain to another registrar (like Namecheap or Cloudflare) for more control. Note: there is a 60-day lock after any contact detail changes.
TTL and Propagation
Default TTL is 1 hour. Propagation typically takes 24–48 hours after saving your changes.
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.