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GoDaddy WordPress Hosting – Domain Setup

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Written by

Dave Warfel

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4 minutes

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NOTE: This article references an older hosting product. I recently wrote a review on the new & improved GoDaddy Pro WordPress Hosting, released in October 2017, along with updated pricing and an honest look at GoDaddy’s commitment to WordPress. You should check it out.


This is part 2 of migrating your site to GoDaddy’s WordPress hosting. Read part 1 which talked about selecting a plan, activating the service & moving your files and database onto GoDaddy’s server.

This final part will cover the DNS settings that you’ll need to make in order for your site to be completely migrated.

NOTE: DNS can be managed in different ways, but it’s usually managed by your domain registrar. In this example, I’m using GoDaddy’s DNS manager, and assuming you had previously pointed your A records to another server. If you bought your domain from someone other than GoDaddy, or you manage your DNS with a different provider, your steps will be the same, but the screenshots below will look different.

GoDaddy is currently offering new .com/.net domains for $8.99. I manage all of my domains with them, and their domain/DNS control panel is one of the best out there. They also don’t charge you extra for simple things like redirects.

GoDaddy WordPress Hosting Domain Setup

There are a few more steps to finish migrating your site. They deal with your domain name & DNS settings. This will get slightly technical, but no advanced knowledge is required.

Step 1 – Add Domain & Set As Primary

GoDaddy hosting accounts - edit settings
Use the “Settings” button to edit your domain, database, DNS, etc.

You’ll see two options in your hosting control panel:

  • Manage – takes you to your WordPress site’s Dashboard
  • Settings – allows you to manage your hosting setup (domain, database, DNS, etc.)

Click on Settings and you’ll land on the default tab, which is for Domain.

GoDaddy WordPress hosting set primary domain
Add your domain, and then use the “Actions” button to set it as your primary domain.
  • Click the Add Domain button
  • Enter the domain name of your website (ex: http://www.mywebsite.com)
  • The domain will appear below your temporary domain (0e3.489.myftpupload.com)
  • Click the Actions button, and set your actual domain as the primary domain

RELATED: What is myftpupload.com?

The next step(s) could vary, depending on where you registered your domain and/or manage your DNS.

Step 2 – Update DNS

Stay within the Settings, and navigate to the DNS tab.

GoDaddy WordPress Hosting settings - DNS tab
In your GoDaddy hosting control panel, click the “Settings” button, and then look for the “DNS” tab.

GoDaddy will tell you what your A record should look like. It should point to an IP address.

Copy this value because you will need it in a second.

If you manage your domain and DNS with GoDaddy…

  • Navigate to All Domains
  • Click on your domain name to edit it
  • Your nameservers should look like the screenshot below.
    • GoDaddy may have already updated your A record for you automatically
    • If not, make sure you are using GoDaddy’s default nameservers, and move onto the next step
GoDaddy Domain Details - change nameservers
GoDaddy’s default nameservers will typically use “domaincontrol.com.” This assumes you’re using GoDaddy as your domain registrar.

If you manage your DNS elsewhere…

…you’ll need to login to your DNS control panel, and edit your A record.

With GoDaddy’s DNS manager, updating the A record can be done like this

GoDaddy WordPress hosting DNS settings - A record
GoDaddy’s DNS control panel
  • Click the DNS Zone File tab
  • Look for the A (Host) section, and the row where Host = @
  • Use the pencil icon to edit the record
  • In the Points To field, enter the A record value that you copied from GoDaddy’s settings
  • Click Finish

It may take an hour (or 2 or 3) for this change to take effect, but once it does, your site will now be live on your new GoDaddy WordPress hosting.

Step 3 – Verify The Hosting Change

Although you just changed web hosts, nothing actually changed with how your site looks or functions. How do you confirm that the DNS has updated and your site was successfully moved?

There are free web tools that will lookup some basic information about your site, including your site’s IP address. I prefer to use who.is.

  • Enter your domain name on the homepage
  • Look for the IP address information
  • Make sure you refresh the info if it hasn’t been updated in a while
Check IP address on who.is
Check your IP address on who.is

GoDaddy WordPress Hosting Discount

If you’re shopping for a new host, GoDaddy is currently running a special on their WordPress hosting. Use the links below for discounted pricing:

If you have any questions about the setup, let us know in the comments.

Dave Warfel

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Dave has been working with WordPress since 2011. He's built 100s of client sites and almost a dozen of his own. He's tested almost every plugin you can think of, hosted with at least 10 different companies, and gone down every SEO rabbit hole you can imagine. When's he's not tinkering with new software, you'll find him in the mountains of Colorado, trail running, summiting peaks, and rippin' downhills on his mountain bike. 🏔️🏃🚴🤸

19 responses to “GoDaddy WordPress Hosting – Domain Setup”

  1. jessie Avatar

    THIS WAS AMAZING! I am a novice and tried to export/import & use duplicating plugins and wasted literally weeks trying to recreate my website on a different godaddy managed WP domain. You saved me!

  2. jessie Avatar

    one question: my login name can’t be changed on the new website and it is some crazy wp godaddy name that has migrate in it. is it possible to change?

    1. Dave Warfel Avatar

      Hi Jessie — Could you send a screenshot please? I’m not sure exactly what you’re asking. You can send it to [email protected], or paste a link here. I’ll see if I can help.

  3. himanshu Avatar
    himanshu

    can you help me with whenever I log in to my WP admin dashboard to go to my website they show me server IP address could not be found and DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN,As I point my IP address on my A record. I purchased a domain and hosting from Godaddy

    1. Dave Warfel Avatar

      Hi himanshu —

      I’d reach out to GoDaddy support. If you purchased both your domain & hosting with them, the DNS and A record changes should work automatically.

      If you’re managing your DNS elsewhere, I would double-check that you entered the correct IP address when adding the A record. This sounds like an issue where the DNS is not pointing to the correct IP.

    2. himanshu Avatar
      himanshu

      I point my IP address perfectly. Actually, I migrate my domain from blogger to WordPress after that I purchased WordPress hosting from Godaddy and remove my domain pointing to blogger and add IP address that they give to point on my A record but they show server IP address could not be found
      and thank you for the response, please help me as I am new to this kind of thing

    3. Dave Warfel Avatar

      I was able to find two possible solutions:

      1. If you can access your /wp-admin/ area, try flushing the cache. Instructions here.

      2. If you can’t, another person had success by reinstalling WordPress. If you have not added any content to your WordPress site yet, you can completely reinstall WordPress with no worries. If you DO have content already published, you’ll want to be a little more careful.

      I would reach out to GoDaddy support first. They should be able to reinstall WordPress for you.

    4. himanshu Avatar
      himanshu

      but how can i clear my cache I can’t login on my wp admin dashboard they show me this message

    5. Dave Warfel Avatar

      Try option 2. GoDaddy’s support team has been very helpful to me in the past. Just explain to them what’s going on (just like you did here with me), and ask them if they can install a fresh version of WordPress for you.

    6. himanshu Avatar
      himanshu

      can you tell me one thing should I change the nameserver as I use a default nameserver on it.

    7. Dave Warfel Avatar

      I would NOT change your nameserver. Keep it as the default. I don’t think the nameservers are your issue. Even you previously stated you are confident that you set the A record correctly. I think it’s an issue with your WordPress installation being corrupt (which just happens with electronic files sometimes). GoDaddy’s WordPress installation process is probably all done by a computer program, so it’s possible it just hit a glitch and needs to be reinstalled.

      If GoDaddy can’t help you at all, and you’ve exhausted your options, then you could look at switching nameservers to a free DNS service, like Cloudflare. But I’d say that’s your last resort.

    8. himanshu Avatar
      himanshu

      can you tell me the procedure how I uninstall WordPress and again install it safely because whenever I talk with GoDaddy
      they tell me that wait for 24-48hrs After that my server start.

    9. Dave Warfel Avatar

      I’ll give you the basic steps below, but always remember that you should have backups of your data (if you have anything there… Sounds like it’s a new site, so maybe there isn’t anything yet).

      You’ll need an FTP program to gain access to the files on your server.

      1. Download WordPress from http://wordpress.org/download/
      2. FTP into your website and delete the following WordPress files:
      – everything in the /wp-includes/ folder
      – everything in the /wp-admin/ folder
      – all files in your root directly EXCEPT the wp-config.php file. Leave that file untouched [IMPORTANT]

      3. From the fresh copy of WordPress you downloaded, upload all the same files that you just deleted.

  4. Esther Avatar
    Esther

    Thanks a lot for such an informative post!

    I am learning with this post and this course. Regarding the GoDaddy hosting in the video they only buy the domain in this web.

    The hosting does it with Hostgator, would there be a problem to have the domain and hosting on different websites?

    Thanks for your time!

    1. Dave Warfel Avatar

      Hi Esther — It’s fine to have your domain & hosting managed with two separate companies. Many people choose that approach.

      However, I strongly advise AGAINST using HostGator. They are not a quality hosting company. If you are looking for inexpensive WordPress hosting to get you started, I recommend SiteGround. Once you have your domain with GoDaddy and have purchased hosting with SiteGround, the final step is to point your A record (which is found in GoDaddy’s domain DNS settings) to the IP address that SiteGround hosting gives you.

      If you need help with this, feel free to email me: [email protected]. I can help you set it up for a small fee.

  5. ahsuna athok Avatar
    ahsuna athok

    I registered my domain name and hosting from go daddy pro yesterday. It’s been 24 hours now. After the payment method, it took me to the WordPress dashboard. It showed me a temporary myftpupload.com address. I logged out of my site. when I open with my temporary myftpupload.com address it is just showing page ok. How can I get back to my WordPress dashboard?

    1. Dave Warfel Avatar

      Your WordPress dashboard should be located at xyz.myftpupload.com/wp-admin/. Replace “xyz” with whatever your specific temporary domain is.

  6. raley Avatar
    raley

    Hey Dave,

    Actually i want to get my domain hosted and since last 2 days i have been searching for the Cheap Linux Hosting provider other than redserverhost.com so can you suggest me some better options to get it?

    1. Dave Warfel Avatar

      If you’re looking to host a WordPress site, my top recommendation is hands-down, Kinsta. But if you are really limited on budget, my 2nd recommendation is SiteGround. They offer really solid shared hosting. You can host WordPress sites, but you can host any type of website as well.

      Kinsta will offer superior performance (they are WordPress-only), but SiteGround offers a lot of bang for your buck.

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