Migrating your website to a new hosting provider is a major milestone, but the process isn't quite finished when the files are moved. If you've just migrated your website using a tool like the HostGator migration tool, you might notice your site is only visible at a temporary URL.
To make your website accessible via your actual domain name (registered with GoDaddy, for example), you need to update your Domain Name System (DNS) settings. Here are the exact steps to point your GoDaddy domain to your new HostGator server.
Step 1: Get HostGator's Nameservers
First, you need to find out the specific nameservers assigned to your new HostGator account.
1. Log in to your HostGator cPanel. 2. Look for your nameserver information (often located in the server information panel on the right side). 3. They typically look something like `ns1.hostgator.com` and `ns2.hostgator.com`, but they might be specific to your server (e.g., `ns1234.hostgator.com`). 4. Alternatively, check the welcome email you received from HostGator upon signing up; the nameservers are usually listed there.
Step 2: Update Nameservers in GoDaddy
Next, you'll apply those nameservers to your domain at GoDaddy.
1. Log in to your GoDaddy account. 2. Navigate to My Products → Domains. 3. Click on the specific domain name you want to update. 4. Scroll down to the Nameservers section and click Change. 5. Select "Enter my own nameservers (advanced)". 6. Replace the existing GoDaddy nameservers with the HostGator nameservers you found in Step 1. 7. Click Save or Save changes.
Step 3: Wait for DNS Propagation
Updating nameservers is not instantaneous. The changes need to propagate across the global network of DNS servers.
* Timeframe: DNS propagation officially takes 24–48 hours, though it often completes much faster (typically 2–4 hours). * What to expect: During this window, visitors (including you) might intermittently see the old website on the old server, or the new website on the new HostGator server, depending on which DNS server their ISP queries. * Tracking: You can check the global propagation status of your domain using free tools like whatsmydns.net.
Step 4: Verify Everything After Propagation
Once the DNS has fully propagated and your domain consistently resolves to your new HostGator server, you must perform a final health check on your live site.
✅ Website loads correctly: Ensure the homepage and internal pages load properly on your real domain (not the temporary one). ✅ Images and links work: Check for broken images or links that might still be pointing to the temporary URL. ✅ SSL certificate is active: HostGator offers free Let's Encrypt SSL. Ensure your site loads securely over HTTPS. If not, enable it from cPanel → SSL/TLS. ✅ Interactive features: Test contact forms, login portals, e-commerce checkouts, and any database-driven features.
⚠️ Important Precautions
* Don't delete old data yet: Do not cancel your old hosting account or delete any files from it until you have thoroughly verified the new site is working flawlessly after full propagation. * Email considerations: If you have custom email addresses hosted with GoDaddy (like info@yourdomain.com), changing the nameservers to HostGator will break your email delivery. In this scenario, you either need to migrate your email hosting to HostGator as well, or keep the nameservers pointed to GoDaddy and update only the 'A record' to point to HostGator's IP address. * WordPress users: If your site is built on WordPress, you might need to update the Site URL and Home URL in the WordPress dashboard (Settings → General) if they were changed during the migration process.