When you change your nameservers or DNS records, the change doesn’t reach everyone at once. This short guide explains why, and how long to expect.
How long it takes
Why it isn’t instant
Internet providers and devices keep a copy of DNS answers for a while to load sites faster. This is called caching. How long they keep each answer depends on the record’s TTL (time to live). Until their copy expires, they keep using the old answer. That gradual update is called propagation.
So during this time, you might see your new website while a customer still sees the old one. That’s normal.
While you wait
- Don’t keep changing settings. Each change restarts the wait.
- Keep your old hosting running until the change has finished, so nobody sees a broken site.
- Check from another network, for example your phone’s mobile data with Wi-Fi turned off.
- Clear your browser cache, or try a private browsing window.
Planning a move? Make your DNS changes at a quiet time for your business, and avoid changing your nameservers and your email setup on the same day.
Still not working after 24 hours?
Check that you edited DNS in the right place. See Where to edit your DNS and Change your nameservers.
Still stuck? Open a ticket with your domain name and what you changed. 
