You can edit your Format domain name's DNS records from your Settings area.
This guide uses jane-dovercourt.format.com and janedovercourt.com as EXAMPLES ONLY. These should be replaced with your own unique Format Address and Custom Domain Name when editing your domain's DNS records.
What are DNS records?
DNS records (Domain Name System) are sets of instructions used to connect your domain name to external services, like a website or custom email address. There are different types of DNS records, like A records, CNAME records, MX records, etc., that all do different things, such as designating an IP address for your domain name, forwarding a domain or subdomain, or directing email to an email server.
Managing DNS records can be a very technical process, with many unique terms and definitions that may be difficult to grasp at first if you don't have prior experience with managing custom domain names.
If you need to add or edit DNS records for a specific purpose, like connecting a custom email address, or verifying your domain name for an external service like Google Search Console or Pinterest, the service you are using should provide you with detailed instructions on how to do so.
Things to know before editing your domain name's DNS records
Before you make any changes to your domain name's DNS records, there are a few things you should be aware of, so that you do not make any changes that would negatively impact your domain's connection to your Format site.
Your domain name's default DNS records
Your domain name will have two default Format DNS records in place. These two records consist of one A Record, and one CNAME Record. These records are necessary to connect your domain name to your Format site, and deleting them will make your site unreachable.
- A Record: This is your domain name's default A Record
- CNAME Record: This is your domain name's default CNAME Record
Making changes to your domain name's DNS records
Changes to your domain name's DNS records can take up to 48 hours to propagate. This means the changes that you make may not be immediate. You should allow at least 48 hours for any new or updated records to propagate. If you are still seeing an issue past those 48 hours, you can reach out to our Success Team.
Nameservers, WHOIS data, and Transfer Authorization Codes
It is not possible to edit your domain's Nameservers or WHOIS registrant data from within the DNS manager. It is also not possible to unlock your domain name and obtain a Transfer Authorization Code from within the DNS manager. For help with these things, please reach out to our Success Team.
Editing your domain name's DNS records
You can access your domain name's DNS records from within your Format account's Settings > Domain and Email area:
- Settings: Navigate to your Settings area
- Domain and Email: Navigate to the Domain and Email tab
- Manage DNS Records: Scroll down and click Manage DNS Records
From there, you'll be presented with a list of your domain's DNS records, and tools to manage them:
- DNS Records: A list of your domain's DNS records can be viewed and edited here
- Add Preset: If you have a custom email address provided by a third party (e.g. Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, etc.), you can select a preset here to quickly add the necessary MX and TXT records to your domain's DNS records*. You can also restore your domain's Format Default records
- Add Record: Add a new DNS record
- Edit: Edit an existing DNS record
- Delete: Delete an existing DNS record
*Email Presets: While you can add the necessary MX and some TXT records to your domain name with these presets, there may be additional, unique DNS records required by your email provider. Always double-check with your email provider's setup instructions to make sure you have added every necessary record to your domain's DNS area.
Example: Adding your Google Site Verification TXT record
Validating your site with Google Search Console is a recommended step to take when setting up your site's SEO. This will help your site to be found in Google Search results. For more info on how to do this, see our article here.
Once you have followed the instructions in the article linked above and have your site-specific verification TXT record, navigate to your domain's DNS management area. From there, click Add Record.
- Add Record: Click Add Record
- New Record: New record added to DNS area, with blank text fields
You can then add your site-specific verification TXT record, provided to you by Google. In the below screenshot, we are using an example TXT record provided by Google. Your site-specific record will be different.
- Type: Select TXT
- Name: Enter @ into the text field
- Value: Paste your site-specific TXT record here
- TTL: Leave this as the default value
- Save: Save the record
It will take up to 48 hours for new DNS records to fully propagate, so new records may not be immediately detected.
Still have questions? Reach us on our live chat or email us at info@format.com. We’re here to help!