{"id":20422,"date":"2026-11-02T12:28:34","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T11:28:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.surver.nl\/kennisbank\/domein-dns-email-wordpress\/"},"modified":"2026-11-03T12:15:51","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T11:15:51","slug":"domain-dns-email-wordpress","status":"publish","type":"kennisbank","link":"https:\/\/stage.surver.nl\/en\/kennisbank\/domein-dns-email-wordpress\/","title":{"rendered":"Domain, DNS, and Email for Your WordPress Website: How They're Connected"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Domain,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You want to move your website, or your email has suddenly stopped working, and you don\u2019t know who to contact. Should you contact your domain registrar, your hosting provider, or your email provider? Your domain name points to your website\u2019s server (A record) and to your mail server (MX record) via DNS records. Your domain, hosting, and email can be with different providers, and the DNS settings determine who handles what. It may seem like a tangled mess, but there are four layers, and for each problem, you usually only need to understand one. Below, I\u2019ll explain them one by one, with a link to more detailed information for each topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The short answer: four layers that fit together<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A WordPress website with email on your own domain operates on four layers: the domain name, the name servers, the DNS records, and the servers for hosting and email. Each layer has its own function and often its own provider. This table shows them side by side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Low<\/th>What it does<\/th>Who supplies it<\/th>Example<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1. Domain Name<\/td>Your name on the Internet, registered under the account holder's name<\/td>A registrar, acting on behalf of the domain extension registry<\/td>yourcompany.nl<\/td><\/tr>
2. Name Servers<\/td>Determine which party manages your domain's DNS<\/td>Your registrar, your hosting provider, or a third-party DNS service such as Cloudflare<\/td>ns1.examplehost.nl<\/td><\/tr>
3. DNS Records<\/td>Directing traffic to the correct server for each service<\/td>The provider your nameservers point to<\/td>A record pointing to your web server, MX record pointing to your mail server<\/td><\/tr>
4. Hosting and Mail Server<\/td>This is where your WordPress site and your email accounts are actually hosted<\/td>Your hosting provider; for email, sometimes Google Workspace or Microsoft 365<\/td>Web server with PHP and a database, mail server with your mailboxes<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I always explain it using the analogy of a business building. Your domain is the address on the facade. DNS is the reception desk with the address book, which directs visitors to the right building and sends mail to the right mailroom. Hosting is the building where your website is located, and the mail server is the mailroom. So the registrar verifies that the domain belongs to you, the nameservers determine who maintains the address book, and the records in that address book direct website traffic and email to the correct server. If all these layers are managed by a single provider, you\u2019ll hardly notice it. If they\u2019re spread out\u2014which is often the case with many small and medium-sized business websites\u2014you\u2019ll need to know which layer is where before making any changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your domain name: ownership through a registrar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A registrar is a company that registers a domain name on your behalf with the registry for that domain extension. Each domain extension has its own registry. For .nl, that\u2019s SIDN; for .be, it\u2019s DNS Belgium; and for .eu, it\u2019s EURid. In that registry, you or your company is listed as the registrant, and the registrant is the owner of the domain. The registrar is merely the intermediary that handles the registration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That distinction may sound technical, but it\u2019s important in practice. If you want to transfer your domain to another provider, you\u2014as the registrant\u2014will need the transfer code (also known as a token). If the domain is registered in your web developer\u2019s name, they have that code and you don\u2019t. So be sure to check WHOIS, the registry\u2019s public lookup service, to see who is listed as the registrant. My advice is to always register your domain in your own company\u2019s name and keep your registrar\u2019s login credentials yourself. All too often, we see business owners who can\u2019t transfer their own domain because the web developer from five years ago still has the key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also keep in mind the renewal. If your domain expires, your website and email will stop working at the same time, and after a certain period, someone else may register the name. If you're planning to register a new domain, you can get one from us Register a domain name<\/a> including .nl, .be, .com, .eu, .de, .fr, .net, and .shop, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DNS: The Address Book That Connects Everything<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

DNS (Domain Name System) is the system that translates a domain name into a server\u2019s IP address. An IP address is the numerical address at which a server can be reached, such as 192.0.2.10. When someone types in your domain, a DNS resolver\u2014usually provided by that visitor\u2019s internet service provider\u2014looks up that address for them. All records for a single domain are stored together in the DNS zone\u2014the \u201caddress book\u201d mentioned in the analogy. If you\u2019d like to review the basics at your own pace, read What DNS Is and Why It's Important<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Name Servers: Who Manages the DNS?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nameservers are the servers that host your domain\u2019s DNS zone and respond to queries about your domain. They therefore determine where your DNS is managed\u2014whether by your registrar, your hosting provider, or a third-party service such as Cloudflare. You configure which nameservers are associated with your domain through your registrar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the most dangerous change in this whole process. If you change the nameservers, your entire DNS zone will be transferred to a new provider, and any records you don\u2019t recreate there will no longer exist. The complaint I hear most often afterward is that email is no longer working. The MX record and the TXT records for SPF and DKIM simply weren\u2019t transferred. Therefore, first copy all records and set them up with the new provider before you switch the nameservers. If DNSSEC\u2014a digital signature for your DNS zone\u2014is enabled, disable it first or transfer the DS record. If you don\u2019t do this, your domain will be inaccessible after the switch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Records That Matter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A DNS record is a single line in the DNS zone that specifies where traffic should be directed for a particular service. For most WordPress sites, four types are sufficient. The A record links your domain name to the IP address of your web server. A CNAME record allows a subdomain, such as www or shop, to point to another name. The MX record specifies which mail server receives email for your domain. TXT records contain verification text, such as your SPF record or the verification code from Google Search Console.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each record also has a TTL (time to live), which is the amount of time, in seconds, that resolvers are allowed to cache the response. At Surver, the default is 600 seconds. A change isn't visible everywhere until the old responses have expired; this is called propagation. You can read the details for each record in DNS Records Explained: A, CNAME, MX, TXT, and TTL<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hosting: Where Your WordPress Website Runs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hosting is the server where your WordPress website runs, along with your files, your database, and PHP. Your domain\u2019s A record points to that server\u2019s IP address, and that\u2019s essentially the only connection between the domain and the hosting. If you want to know which hosting option is right for you, read What is managed WordPress hosting?<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That makes switching hosts less complicated than many people think. If you switch to a different hosting provider, your site will get a new IP address, and you\u2019ll need to update the A record. Your domain doesn\u2019t need to be transferred as part of this process. The correct order for completing this switch is explained in Moving a WordPress Website to a Different Hosting Provider<\/a>. Your SSL certificate is tied to your domain and hosting. With Surver, a Let\u2019s Encrypt SSL certificate is free\u2014even as a wildcard certificate\u2014and it renews automatically as long as your DNS points to Surver. You can read exactly how that works in SSL Certificate and HTTPS<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Email: Your mailboxes are often hosted somewhere else<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The MX record determines which mail server receives email for your domain; this could be your hosting provider, but it could also be Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. It helps keep two types of email separate. Your mailboxes receive and send your regular business email. You manage that with email hosting<\/a> or with one of the major office suites\u2014and to find out which option is right for you, read Choose a business email address<\/a>. Our mailboxes have a maximum storage capacity of 10 GB and are covered by our standard data processing agreement, which is helpful if you need to ensure your GDPR compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, WordPress itself sends emails, such as form submissions, WooCommerce orders, and password reset emails. These emails must be sent via SMTP and authenticated using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC; otherwise, they\u2019ll end up in the spam folder. A mailbox can send up to 75 emails per hour. If you need more\u2014for example, for a busy online store\u2014then transactional email<\/a> The solution: through Dropper, our own service. If you're not receiving your form emails, please read Emails sent from WordPress aren't being delivered<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three Common Situations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For small and medium-sized business websites, we mainly see three setups, and each has its own weakness. In the first setup, everything is hosted by a single provider, such as Surver. The nameservers, the A record, and the MX record all point to the same provider, and in the event of an outage, you have a single point of contact. This is the simplest option, but you\u2019re also completely dependent on that one provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the second scenario, your domain and email are hosted by Registrar X, and your website is hosted by Surver. The nameservers are then located at Registrar X; the A record points to our web server, and the MX record points to Registrar X\u2019s mail server. For the website, contact us; for email and DNS, contact Registrar X. So any change to the website requires an action from a different party, and it\u2019s easy to forget that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m seeing the third scenario more and more often. The website is hosted with us, and email is hosted with Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. The nameservers are hosted by us or your registrar; the A record points to our web server, and the MX record points to Microsoft or Google. Problems mainly arise here when changing nameservers, because the MX and TXT records from Microsoft or Google aren\u2019t transferred over. So, if you experience an issue with your email, call Microsoft or Google; if there\u2019s a problem with your website, contact our support team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here's how to find out where your domain, DNS, and email are located<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With three free online checks, you'll know exactly where everything is without having to open a terminal. That's the first thing I do myself when I get a new client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Look up your domain in the registry's WHOIS database; for .nl domains, go to sidn.nl. You'll then see the domain holder and the registrar.<\/li>\n\n
  2. Perform an online DNS lookup, for example, using MXToolbox or the Dig tool in the Google Admin Toolbox. Write down the nameservers and the IP address in the A record.<\/li>\n\n
  3. Use the same tool to look up the MX record. That will show you which provider is receiving your email.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Compile the results into a single overview and save your registrar's login credentials in your password manager. That way, you won't have to search for them when something goes wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When do you make changes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    When making a change, you usually only need to adjust one layer, and it's helpful to know which one in advance. These are the situations I encounter most often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n