A quick walkthrough for Idea Jar Web Design clients
Last updated: May 13, 2026 · 7 min read
Pointing an IONOS domain to Netlify takes about 5 minutes in your DNS settings. You'll update one A record and one CNAME record. Your email will keep working as long as you don't touch the MX records. DNS propagation can take 1–24 hours to complete worldwide. Here's exactly what to change.
Hi — it's Matt. Your site is built and ready to go live. The last step is telling IONOS — where your domain is registered — to send visitors to your new site instead of wherever it's pointing today. This guide walks you through that change. It's two records, takes about ten minutes, and won't affect your email.
Before you start: I'll email you two specific values you'll need. One is an IP address (a string of numbers like 75.2.60.5). The other is a web address ending in .netlify.app. Have that email open while you follow these steps — you'll paste those values into IONOS.
Heads up: IONOS occasionally updates their interface. If the icons or menu labels look different from what's described below, look for the equivalent action menu (whatever icon appears — three dots, a gear, an arrow) next to your domain row. The steps and values stay the same even if IONOS changes their UI.
Update your DNS records at IONOS
1
Go to ionos.com and sign in to your account.
2
From the menu, click Domains & SSL.
3
Find your domain in the list. Click the three-dots menu under "Actions" and select DNS.
4
You're now looking at your DNS records. Don't panic — most of what's there is fine to leave alone. Don't delete or modify any record that starts with MX, TXT, or SPF — those are for your email. Leaving them alone is how we keep your email working.
5
Find the A record with a Host of @ or your bare domain (the one without "www"). If it exists, click the pencil icon to edit it and change the "Points to" field to the IP address I sent you. Save. If no A record exists, click Add Record, choose type A, set Host to @, and paste the IP address into "Points to." Save.
6
Find the CNAME record with a Host of www. If it exists, click edit and change "Points to" to the .netlify.app address I sent you (no https:// in front). Save. If no CNAME for www exists, click Add Record, choose type CNAME, set Host to www, and paste the .netlify.app address into "Points to." Save.
7
Email me at matt@ideajarwebdesign.com to let me know you've made the change. I take it from there — I'll verify everything and turn on the security certificate (HTTPS) once the change has spread across the internet.
DNS changes don't happen instantly. It usually takes fifteen minutes to a couple of hours, but can take up to forty-eight. Once it's spread, your real domain will start working — and within a few hours after that I'll have HTTPS turned on too.
Common questions
Will this break my email?
No — as long as you don't delete or modify any MX, TXT, or SPF records. Those are what keep your email working. We're only changing the records that point your website (A and CNAME for www).
I see records I don't recognize. Should I delete them?
No. Leave anything you don't recognize alone. The only records you should touch are the A record for the bare domain and the CNAME record for "www." Everything else stays.
It's been a few hours and my domain still isn't loading my site.
This is normal. DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to spread across the internet. If it's been more than 48 hours and still not working, text me at 650-246-9863.
My site loads but the browser says "Not Secure."
HTTPS (the security certificate) gets turned on after DNS has spread. I handle that on my end — usually within a few hours of you completing this. If it's been more than a day and you're still seeing "Not Secure," let me know.
I made a mistake and I'm not sure what I changed.
Don't try to fix it on your own — text me at 650-246-9863 and I'll walk you through it. IONOS keeps your old settings recoverable, so this is fixable.
IONOS gave a "DNS conflict" warning when I tried to save. What's going on?
IONOS is flagging that another record on the same host conflicts with the one you're adding. Most often there's a pre-existing CNAME on @ (the bare domain) that needs to be deleted before the A record will save. CNAMEs can't coexist with A records on the same host.
My IONOS domain keeps redirecting to my .netlify.app address instead of using my custom domain.
IONOS has a separate Domain Forwarding setting that overrides DNS. Find Domain Forwarding in your IONOS control panel (usually under the domain's general settings) and disable it. Then the DNS records take effect.
Netlify shows 404 on my IONOS domain after DNS propagated.
Two common causes: the custom domain hasn't been added on Netlify's side (I handle this — let me know once your DNS update is saved), or the A record is pointing to an outdated Netlify IP. Send me a screenshot of your IONOS DNS records and I'll verify the IP is current.
Can I put a CNAME on my root domain (mydomain.com)?
No, and IONOS will reject it. CNAMEs aren't allowed on apex domains by DNS standards. Use an A record at @ for the bare domain, and CNAMEs only for subdomains like www, blog, shop, etc.
Does my IONOS-purchased SSL certificate still work after pointing to Netlify?
No — once your domain points to Netlify, the IONOS SSL certificate becomes redundant. Netlify automatically provisions a free SSL certificate that renews itself. You can let your IONOS SSL lapse, or contact IONOS support to request a refund if you bought it recently.
Netlify still shows "Awaiting External DNS" hours after I made the change.
First check that propagation is happening by visiting dnschecker.org with your domain — most of the world should show the new Netlify IP within a few hours. If propagation looks complete but Netlify still shows pending, tell me and I'll click "Verify DNS configuration" on the Netlify side, which sometimes needs a manual nudge.
