To connect a domain to a Vultr VPS, point the domain’s DNS records to the server’s public IP address. The simplest approach is to keep DNS at your domain registrar and create an A record. If you want to manage DNS centrally through Vultr, you can switch the nameservers to ns1.vultr.com and ns2.vultr.com. The process usually takes a few minutes to 24–48 hours to fully propagate, depending on the registrar and DNS caching.
Before you begin, prepare an active domain, the VPS’s IPv4 address, administrative access to the domain registrar, and your Vultr login details. If you have not created a server yet, see the A–Z guide to setting up a Vultr VPS to complete that step first.
How to Connect a Domain to a Vultr VPS Using an A Record
This approach is suitable for most websites. You do not need to change the nameservers and can continue managing email, TXT records, and other services through your current registrar.
Step 1: Find the VPS IP Address
Sign in to Vultr, open the server you want to use, and copy its public IPv4 address. For example, assume the VPS IP is 203.0.113.10. Do not use a private IP address or IPv6 unless you have configured the website to support IPv6.
Step 2: Create DNS Records
Sign in to your domain management panel, open DNS Management or DNS Records, and create the following records:
| Type | Name/Host | Value | Suggested TTL |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | @ | 203.0.113.10 | 300 or default |
| A | www | 203.0.113.10 | 300 or default |
The @ symbol represents the root domain, such as example.com. The www record makes the www.example.com address point to the same server. Some registrars require the fully qualified name or automatically append the domain; check whether the system converts www.example.com to www.example.com.example.com .
To avoid repeating the IP address, you can create an A record for the root domain and a CNAME record with Host set to www, pointing to @. Vultr supports A, CNAME, MX, TXT, and many other DNS record types in its management system, according to the Vultr Docs.
Step 3: Configure the Web Server on the VPS
DNS only directs users to the correct IP; the web server must still accept the domain name. With Nginx or Apache, add the domain to the virtual host configuration, then test and reload the service. For example, with Nginx:
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginxIn the website configuration, declare both the root domain and the www version, such as server_name example.com www.example.com;. If you run WordPress, make sure the website URL in the settings also uses the correct domain. See also how to install WordPress on Ubuntu with LAMP if the website has not yet been deployed.
Switch DNS to Vultr DNS Using Nameservers
This approach is suitable when you want to manage all DNS records in your Vultr account. Vultr requires the domain to use two nameservers: ns1.vultr.com and ns2.vultr.com so that Vultr becomes the domain’s authoritative DNS server, according to the Vultr Docs.
- In Vultr, go to Products → Network → DNS and select Add Domain.
- Enter the domain name, select the VPS, or enter the server’s IP address to create the initial A record.
- At your domain registrar, select Custom Nameservers.
- Remove the default nameservers if required by the registrar, then enter
ns1.vultr.comns2.vultr.com. - Save the changes, return to Vultr DNS, and add any required records, such as
www, MX, TXT, or CNAME records.
Before changing the nameservers, copy your existing email records. If you omit the MX or TXT records, business email may stop receiving messages after the DNS migration is complete. Vultr currently does not provide an option to import an entire DNS zone directly, so records may need to be created manually (according to Vultr Support).
Checking the connection and troubleshooting common issues
Checking with the dig command
Open Terminal or Command Prompt with a DNS tool installed and run:
dig A example.com +short
dig A www.example.com +short
dig NS example.com +shortThe first two commands should return the VPS IP address. If you use Vultr DNS, the nameserver query should display ns1.vultr.com ns2.vultr.comand
You can also check directly in a browser by visiting both domain versions.
- DNS records not updating Old IP address still appears:
- Wait for the DNS cache to expire, or try a mobile network or a public DNS resolver. NXDOMAIN error appears:
- Check that the domain has been added to the correct zone and that the nameservers at the registrar are configured correctly. The IP address is correct, but the website does not open:
- Check the Vultr firewall, the Ubuntu firewall, and ports 80 and 443. www does not work:
wwwCreate an additional A or CNAME record for - , and configure this hostname in Nginx or Apache. <strong>HTTPS certificate error: after DNS is working, install an SSL certificate. You can refer to theautomatic Let's Encrypt SSL installation guide
. wwwDo not delete the MX, SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records if the domain is used for email. Once the website is accessible through the domain, check both HTTP and HTTPS, as well as the versions with and without
, then configure a redirect to one canonical address to avoid duplicate content.
- How to Add a Domain to Vultr DNS — Vultr Docs
- How to Manage Domain DNS Records using Vultr DNS — Vultr Docs
- How Can I Point My Domain to Vultr DNS? — Vultr Support
- Can I Import a DNS Zone? — Vultr Support
