Domain Names - How long do DNS changes take?

When a domain is newly registered, the nameservers are changed, or DNS changes are made, you can expect a propagation time anywhere from up to 24 hours. This is because it takes time for the DNS to take effect across the network. The actual time of propagation can vary.

What is DNS propagation?

When you make a DNS change, it takes time for the changes to take effect. This is called DNS propagation. It is the time it takes for the domain DNS to refresh the cache on the network.

How long does it take to refresh my DNS cache?

The cache is cleared over a certain amount of time. We suggest waiting up to 24 hours for the DNS cache to be fully refreshed. DNS will refresh according to the "TTL" or "Time To Live". When the DNS refreshes according to its TTL, the propagation is complete and your site will load.

How do I check if my domain DNS is propagated?

You can always check where your domain is pointing by the following domain routing tool.

Visual Domain Routing Tool

You can also ping and trace route your domain locally from your Windows/Mac command prompt to verify what IP you are actually seeing. If the ping and traceroute test show your server with us in the outcome, you know the DNS is propagated.

Can I speed up the propagation process?

You can try speeding up the propagation time by having your TTL set to a lower number (not recommended). This will refresh the DNS at a quicker rate. We set the default TTL is 14400 (4 hours); however you can set the TTL to 3600 (1 hour) for more frequent DNS refresh.

You can try Clearing your DNS cache or "Flush the DNS". For information on how to flush your DNS, please see our article on How do I clear my local DNS cache?. Clearing your DNS cache does not always work, so sometimes you will just need to wait.