The Role of DNS in Getting Your Site Online
One of the best, and sometimes most frustrating, parts of my job at Full Scope Creative is launching a new website and seeing it go live. The reason I say is sometimes frustrating, is the DNS propagation. Sometimes when we launch a new site we’ll get questions like, “I still don’t see the new site?” or “Why is the old one still showing up?” The reason for the delay in getting to see the new live site is due to the DNS propagation. I promise, it sounds much more complicated than it really is.
What Is DNS?
Remember having the old phonebooks with everyone’s name, address, and phone number listed? Think of the Domain Name System (DNS) as the internet’s equivalent of the phonebook. When you type in the website address that you’re wanting to go to, such as fullscopecreative.com, DNS tells your computer where to go to find the website and files on the world wide web. DNS is essentially what connects your company’s domain name to the actual physical server that hosts your website.
When a new website design is launched, we have to update the DNS phonebook to make sure that users can get to the new website on a new server. Think of it like changing your phone number, you’d have to update everyone who needs your number.
What Is DNS Propagation?
DNS propagation is the time that it takes for all of the servers around the globe to update with the new website’s location. These servers, called name servers, are what your computer turns to every time you type in a web address.
When we launch your new site or make changes to your DNS settings (like email or where your site is hosted), it takes time for that change to make its way to all of the name servers. That time is called propagation.
Why Does It Take So Long?
Usually, most DNS updates take anywhere between just a few minutes and all the way up to 72 hours to fully propagate. Why the range?
- Caching: Internet service providers (ISPs), web browsers, and even your computer like to “cache” or save the old data so pages load faster. That means they might not immediately check for the updated info.
- Geographic location: Servers in one part of the world might update quickly, while others lag behind.
- DNS settings: Some domain registrars or hosts are faster than others at updating their records.
- Device history: If your phone or laptop has visited your site before, it might be showing a cached version until the new one finally kicks in.
When Does DNS Propagation Happen?
Here are a few common reasons you might experience DNS propagation:
- Launching a brand-new site
- Moving your website to a new hosting provider
- Changing your domain name
- Setting up business email through a new platform
- Adding or removing subdomains (like shop.yoursite.com)
What Should I Do During Propagation?
Each of these changes requires the internet to update its “map” of where your website or email lives.
There isn’t anything much that can be done to really speed up the DNS propagation, it simply takes time. Most DNS updates will resolve and complete on their own, usually within a few hours. But if it’s taking longer than 48 hours and you’re still seeing the old site or errors, you can reach out to your web hosting provider and make sure that everything is updated and moving correctly. You can always keep up with all the propagation at https://www.whatsmydns.net/ and enter your domain name. All the servers listed will need to be updated to the new IP address or records for the process to be complete. Even if a server on the other side of the world isn’t updated, you might see the old website.
In the meantime:
- Try viewing the site in a different browser or device
- Clear your browser cache
- Restart your computer or router
- Use a mobile data connection to see if it’s showing correctly elsewhere
It’s Normal and Temporary
DNS propagation might feel a bit like internet limbo, but it’s completely normal. At Full Scope Creative, we do our best to make it as seamless as possible and we’re always happy to answer questions if anything feels off.
So next time your new website seems a little shy and doesn’t show up right away—don’t panic. It’s just the internet playing catch-up.
