DNS propagation explained
Why your domain change takes hours to show up everywhere, and how to check if it is done.
If you just changed nameservers or added a DNS record, you might find that the change works for some visitors but not others. That gap is called DNS propagation.
What is actually happening
When anyone on the internet tries to reach your site, their device asks a DNS server for your current IP address. DNS servers cache the answer they were given last time, for a time set by the TTL (time to live). Until that cache expires, some visitors still see the old answer.
Typical timings
- Most places: less than 1 hour.
- Residential broadband in some regions: 2 to 6 hours.
- Mobile networks and corporate firewalls: up to 24 hours.
Check propagation for your domain
- Open whatsmydns.net in a browser.
- Type your domain and pick the record type (usually A for an IP address or NS for nameservers).
- Look at the map. Green ticks mean that location sees the new answer. Red crosses mean it still sees the old one.
How to speed things up on your own computer
- Close and reopen your browser.
- Flush your local DNS cache (search online for the command for your operating system).
- Try a different network, like mobile data, to bypass your home router.
It has been 48 hours and still broken
That is not propagation anymore. Open a support ticket with your domain name and what you tried to change. We will check the records from our side.
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