When your site migrates to PMPro Hosting, your domain needs to point to your new server. This guide explains what DNS is, the two options you have for managing it, and how to update your domain’s settings after migration.

What Is DNS?

DNS (Domain Name System) is what connects your domain name (like yourdomain.com) to the server that actually hosts your site. When someone types your domain into a browser, DNS is what tells the internet “this domain lives at this server.”

Think of it like the contacts app on your phone: you type in “Jason” and your phone knows which number to call. DNS works the same way: people type in a domain name, and DNS tells their browser which server to connect to.

Your domain’s DNS is controlled through DNS records. DNS records are entries that tell the internet where different services live. The two you’ll hear about most often are:

• A record: Points your domain to a specific server (an IP address). This is what controls where your website loads from.
• Nameservers: The servers that hold all your DNS records. Whoever controls your nameservers controls your DNS.

When your site moves to PMPro Hosting, your DNS needs to be updated so visitors reach your new server instead of your old one.

Common DNS Records for Membership Sites

Your domain has more than one record. The website itself is one entry, but you’ll likely have separate records for email, subdomains, and third-party services. Here are the record types you’re most likely to encounter on a membership site, and what each one does.

Record	What It Does	Common Use
A	Points a domain or subdomain to an IPv4 server address	Where your website loads from
AAAA	Points a domain to an IPv6 server address	Same as A, for IPv6 traffic
CNAME	Aliases one domain or subdomain to another	Pointing www.yourdomain.com to your root domain, or pointing a subdomain to a third-party service
NS	Names the servers that hold your DNS records	Set at your registrar to choose your DNS host
MX	Specifies the server that receives email for your domain	Required if you use email at your domain (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, etc.)
TXT	Flexible text records	Domain verification, SPF, DMARC, and other email authentication
SRV	Maps services to specific servers and ports	Less common; sometimes used by VoIP, calendar, or chat services

Email Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

If you send any email from your domain (yes, that includes transactional email like password resets and checkout receipts), you’ll want all three of the following records in place. Without them, the major mailbox providers like Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft will treat your messages as suspicious and may route them to spam.

• SPF (TXT record): Lists every service authorized to send email on behalf of your domain.
• DKIM (TXT or CNAME record): Cryptographically signs each email so receiving servers can verify it really came through you.
• DMARC (TXT record at _dmarc.yourdomain.com): Tells receiving servers what to do if a message fails SPF or DKIM checks.

For a deeper walkthrough of how all three work together, see our guide to DKIM, SPF, and DMARC for membership sites.

Subdomains, Redirects, and Verification

You may also need DNS records for things outside your main website:

• A subdomain pointing somewhere else. For example, shop.yourdomain.com going to a Shopify store, or app.yourdomain.com going to a separate web app. These are usually CNAME records pointing to the third-party service.
• A redirect from one domain to another. For example, yourolddomain.com redirecting to yournewdomain.com. When we manage your DNS through Cloudflare, redirects like this are handled with a Page Rule rather than a DNS record alone.
• Domain verification for third-party services. For example, a TXT record proving you own the domain so Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or an analytics tool can use it.

If we’re managing your DNS, you don’t need to set any of these up yourself. Contact support with what you’re trying to do and we’ll add the records for you.

DNS Management: Your Two Options

You have two options for how DNS is handled for your site. We strongly recommend letting us manage it.

Option 1: We Manage Your DNS (Recommended)

We host your DNS through our own Cloudflare account, optimized specifically for PMPro membership sites.

When you choose this option, we take care of:

• Security rules: Protection against bad bots, brute force login attempts, and common attacks
• Caching rules: Tuned for WordPress and Paid Memberships Pro to keep your site fast
• SSL certificates: Automatic HTTPS so your site is always secure
• Ongoing optimization: As we improve our stack, your site benefits automatically
• Custom settings just for you: If, in the process of maintaining and support your membership site, we identify custom settings that would benefit your DNS setup, we will put them in place.

You still own your domain and can leave at any time. We only manage the DNS configuration, not the domain itself.

Option 2: You Manage Your Own DNS

If you prefer to keep your DNS with your current provider (your registrar, a DNS host you already use, or somewhere else), you can. In this case:

• We’ll give you the server IP address to point your domain at
• We’ll recommend the security and caching settings to apply on your end
• You’re responsible for making DNS changes, provisioning and renewing SSL certificates, and keeping everything configured correctly

This option works, but it means giving up the security, caching, and optimization we provide automatically. We recommend it only if you have a specific reason to manage DNS yourself, for example, if your organization has strict requirements about where DNS lives.

Updating Your DNS After Migration

Once your site is migrated and ready to go live, your support ticket will include the information you need to update your DNS. Nothing changes for visitors until you complete this step. They’ll keep reaching your old host until you update your DNS.

If We’re Managing Your DNS

Your support ticket will include two Cloudflare nameservers that look something like this:

jason.ns.cloudflare.com
kim.ns.cloudflare.com

The exact nameservers are unique to your domain. Always use the ones provided in your ticket, not the example above.

To update them:

1. Sign in to your domain registrar (this is wherever you bought the domain, like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, Squarespace, etc.).
2. Open the settings for the domain you’re migrating.
3. Find the Nameservers or DNS Settings section. Look for an option like “Custom Nameservers,” “Change Nameservers,” or “Use custom DNS.”
4. Remove any existing nameserver entries.
5. Enter the two nameservers we provided, one per field.
6. Save your changes.

Some registrars send a confirmation email after you save. Check your inbox and approve the change if one arrives.

Once the change is saved, reply to your support ticket to let us know. DNS changes usually begin working within a few minutes but can occasionally take longer. As soon as your domain is pointing to us, we’ll generate your SSL certificate and confirm the site is live.

If You’re Managing Your Own DNS

Your support ticket will include the server IP address to point your domain at.

To update your DNS:

1. Sign in to whoever manages your DNS (your registrar or DNS provider).
2. Open the DNS settings for your domain.
3. Find the A record for your root domain (this is usually labeled @ or your domain name itself).
4. Update the A record to point to the IP address we provided. If no A record exists, create one.
5. If you use www for your site, make sure it also points to your domain, either as a second A record with the same IP, or as a CNAME pointing to your root domain.
6. Save your changes.

Once saved, reply to your support ticket to let us know. As soon as DNS has propagated and your domain resolves to our server, we’ll generate your SSL certificate and confirm the site is live.

What Happens After You Update DNS?

Here’s what to expect once you’ve made the change:

1. Propagation: DNS changes take a few minutes to an hour to reach most of the internet. In rare cases, full global propagation can take up to 48 hours.
2. SSL certificate: Once your domain points to our server, we generate an SSL certificate so your site loads over HTTPS (the secure https:// version of your URL).
3. Go live: We’ll confirm in your support ticket once everything is active. At that point, visitors going to your domain will see your new site.

If you run into trouble updating your DNS, reply to your support ticket and we’ll help walk you through it. Registrar interfaces vary, and we’re happy to jump in if anything is unclear.

Frequently Asked Questions