A quick walkthrough for Idea Jar Web Design clients
Last updated: May 12, 2026 · 7 min read
Pointing a GoDaddy 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 GoDaddy — 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 GoDaddy.
Update your DNS records at GoDaddy
1
Go to godaddy.com and sign in to your account.
2
From the menu, go to My Products (or Domain Portfolio — GoDaddy has been renaming this section). You'll see a list of your domains.
3
Click the domain you want to point at your new site. This opens the Domain Settings page.
4
Click DNS to view your DNS records. (You may see this as "Manage DNS" depending on how GoDaddy has updated their interface — same thing.)
5
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 of type MX, TXT, SPF, or NS — those keep your email and domain working. Leaving them alone is how we keep your email running.
6
Find the existing A record with a Name of @ (this represents your bare domain, the one without "www"). Click Edit next to it. Change the Value field to the IP address I sent you (the one that looks like 75.2.60.5). Click Save.
7
Find the existing CNAME record with a Name of www. Click Edit. Change the Value field to the .netlify.app address I sent you (it'll look like your-site-name.netlify.app, no https:// in front). Click Save.
8
GoDaddy may ask you to verify your identity with a one-time code sent to your phone or email. This is normal — enter the code to complete the save.
9
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, SPF, or NS records. Those are what keep your email working. We're only changing the records that point your website (the A record for the bare domain and the CNAME record for "www").
I can't find an A record or CNAME record to edit.
If those records don't exist, you'll need to add them. Click Add New Record at the top of the DNS page. For the A record, choose type A, set Name to @, paste the IP address into Value, and save. For the CNAME, choose type CNAME, set Name to www, paste the .netlify.app address into Value, and save.
GoDaddy added my domain to the end of the CNAME and now it looks weird.
This is a known GoDaddy quirk — when you save a CNAME, GoDaddy sometimes appends your domain to whatever you typed. So if you typed yoursite.netlify.app it becomes yoursite.netlify.app.yourdomain.com. If you see this, edit the record and re-enter the value carefully, or text me at 650-246-9863 and I'll walk you through it.
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. GoDaddy keeps your old settings recoverable, so this is fixable.
GoDaddy gave a "Record could not be added" error when I tried to save. Now what?
There's a conflicting record on the same host. Most often it's an old AAAA (IPv6) record on @ that needs to be deleted before the new A record will save, or another A record from a previous parked-page setup. Look for any records on @ besides the one you're adding and delete them, then save again.
Netlify says "Awaiting External DNS" or "Pending DNS verification" — what does that mean?
Netlify is waiting to confirm your DNS update has propagated. It usually clears within a few hours but can take up to 48. If it's been longer, three things to check on the GoDaddy side: Domain Lock should be OFF during DNS changes, DNSSEC should be OFF (it can block CNAME edits), and there should be no leftover Forwarding rule overriding your A record. Send me a screenshot and I'll check it on Netlify's side too.
My www.mydomain.com works but mydomain.com (or vice versa) doesn't load — why?
Both versions need their own record. The bare "apex" domain (mydomain.com) needs an A record on @ pointing to the Netlify IP. The "www" version needs a CNAME on www pointing to the .netlify.app address. Both must exist independently. If only one works, the missing one is just absent or has an old value.
Should I switch GoDaddy's nameservers to Netlify's instead of editing A and CNAME?
Only if you're moving your email away from GoDaddy too. Netlify's nameservers replace ALL of GoDaddy's DNS records, including the MX records that route your email — so without a parallel email migration, your email goes dark. The simpler path (editing A/CNAME) keeps your email exactly where it is and just sends web traffic to Netlify.
How can I check if my DNS has propagated yet?
Visit dnschecker.org and paste in your domain. It shows you what DNS servers around the world currently see for your domain. If most of them show the new Netlify IP, you're good. If they're still showing the old value, you're still mid-propagation.
Will turning on DNSSEC at GoDaddy cause issues?
Yes, often. GoDaddy's DNSSEC and "DNS Proxy" settings can auto-regenerate AAAA records that conflict with your new A record, and they can block CNAME edits silently. Turn DNSSEC off before making changes. You can turn it back on after everything is verified working, but most small business sites don't need it.
