How to add or edit DNS records in cPanel

In cPanel go to Domains, open Zone Editor, click Manage for your domain, then Add Record. To edit or delete, use Actions in the Manage Zone table, then Save Record or Save All Records.

Before you start

• Make sure your domain uses Hostworld’s nameservers or changes here will not go live: ns1.serverworld.uk, ns2.serverworld.uk, ns3.serverworld.uk, ns4.serverworld.uk.
• Use the cPanel account that actually owns the domain. Temporary cpanel.site placeholders do not support DNS editing.
• If you cannot see certain record types or Zone Editor itself, you need the feature enabled on your package. Open a ticket and we will sort it.

Step 1: Open Zone Editor in cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel for your hosting.
2. Go to Domains, then Zone Editor.

Step 2: Manage the domain’s zone

1. Find your domain and click Manage. You will see a table of Name, TTL, Type and Record, with Actions to edit or delete.
2. To add, click Add Record, or click the arrow beside it to choose a specific type. To edit, click Edit beside an existing row. You can queue several additions or edits before saving anything.
3. For records at the zone apex, leave Name blank or enter the domain itself. The Name field does not accept @. For targets that are absolute hostnames, add a trailing dot to avoid the domain being appended.
4. Do not click Reset Zone unless you intend to wipe custom changes. It reverts to defaults and may not keep all TXT entries.

Step 3: Enter the right data for your record type

• A: Points a hostname to an IPv4 address. Enter the host in Name (for example, www) and the IPv4 address in Record. The domain is appended to relative names.
• AAAA: As above but for IPv6. Enter the IPv6 address in Record.
• CNAME: Creates an alias to a hostname. The target must be a fully qualified domain name, not an IP. You cannot mix a CNAME with other records of the same name and you cannot set the zone apex as a CNAME. cPanel will error if you try.
• MX: Routes inbound mail. Enter a numeric Priority and a Destination that is a fully qualified domain name. Per RFC 2181, the MX target must not be a CNAME.
• TXT: Stores text for SPF, DKIM, verification and other services. Accuracy matters because the editor accepts any text. cPanel’s Email Deliverability tool can manage SPF and DKIM for you.
• DMARC: Use the DMARC option under Add to build the policy. cPanel creates the underlying TXT record and helps you choose none, quarantine or reject, with optional flags.
• SRV: Publishes service endpoints. Provide Priority, Weight, Port and the Target host exactly as given by your service.
• CAA: Limits which certificate authorities may issue certificates for your domain. It is available as a record type in Zone Editor.
• SVCB and HTTPS: Advanced service records for advertising parameters or alternate servers. Enter the values supplied by your provider.
• ALIAS: Present but experimental and not RFC compliant in cPanel. We strongly recommend you do not use ALIAS.

4. Once the fields are correct, click Save Record or Save All Records. DNS resolvers cache answers until the record’s TTL expires. If you are planning a cutover, lower the TTL ahead of time, ideally 24 hours in advance.

If it does not work

• You changed cPanel but the internet still shows old data. Check your domain is delegated to our nameservers: ns1.serverworld.uk, ns2.serverworld.uk, ns3.serverworld.uk, ns4.serverworld.uk. If it points elsewhere, make the change at that DNS provider instead, or switch to our nameservers.
• You get “CNAME and other data” or the apex will not accept a CNAME. Remove the conflicting records or use A/AAAA for the host. The root of the zone cannot be a CNAME.
• You still see the old IP. That is caching. Look at the record’s TTL in Zone Editor and try again after it has expired. Propagation speed is limited by TTL.

If you are stuck, open a support ticket and tell us the exact record you are adding or editing.

What next

For deeper DNS changes, including running your own resolver or nameserver on a server you control, see our VPS guides. If you need scalable compute for custom DNS tooling, our UK location is available on Linux VPS. If anything is unclear, open a support ticket and we will review your zone with you.