Manually Point DNS to WP Engine

The most important step to “go live” on a WP Engine site is to update DNS. This will direct traffic from the domain host to a WP Engine website. This process starts at the DNS provider, which is most often where the domain was bought.

The preferred method when pointing DNS to WP Engine is CNAME flattening, as it is the most scalable solution. However CNAME, A, ANAME, and ALIAS records are all supported when pointing DNS. Domain masking is not supported directly on WP Engine, however this configuration may still be set up from your DNS host.

---

DNS Record Values

The CNAME and IP address values are displayed in the DNS Details section during the initial Add Domain process. To access the Add Domain workflow again and view DNS details for a domain that has not yet been pointed:

1. Expand the domain name’s Status dropdown
2. Click View DNS details page

3. Two options to point DNS will display:
   • Option 1: Automatically – If available, log in to the domain provider to point DNS automatically. Learn more about Domain Connect here.
   • Option 2: Manually – If domain connect is not available, or not needed, point DNS to WP Engine manually. Learn how to manually update DNS by reading the guide below.

To view DNS details after a domain has been added to the User Portal, expand the three dot menu icon to the right, then select View DNS Details.

---

Point DNS Using CNAME Flattening

Several services offer CNAME flattening support, meaning your apex domain (non-www) can be pointed with a CNAME record. Be aware that CNAME flattening is required for websites hosted on clustered (AWS) server environments.

Not all DNS hosts support CNAME flattened DNS records. Be sure to verify with your DNS host before making any changes.

Cloudflare is our recommendation for CNAME flattening, as it makes adding supplementary features through Cloudflare down the road far easier. The steps below will have you first configure your CNAME records in Cloudflare, then update your domain’s nameservers to point to Cloudflare from your domain name registrar. However, any host that supports a CNAME record for your apex (also called “root” or “top-level”) domain may be used with similar steps.

1. Sign up for a Cloudflare plan (the free plan works great!)
2. Click Add a Site and enter the domain name
3. Cloudflare will detect and display current records for the domain
4. Delete the A record shown for the apex domain (non-www)
   • This record will be named yourdomain.com or @ and will be pointed to an IP address.
   • Deleting this record will not impact live traffic until nameservers are updated in the final steps.

5. In the Type dropdown, select CNAME
6. Set the Name to @
7. In the Target field enter your WP Engine CNAME
8. Click Save

9. Now locate the www record:
   • If this record is pointed to @, your apex domain name, or a WP Engine CNAME, leave the record as-is.
   • If this record is an A record, pointed an IP address (EX: 123.456.78.90):
     • Delete the www record
     • Click Add Record
     • Set the Type dropdown to CNAME
     • In the Name field enter www
     • In the Target field enter @
     • Click Save
10. Correct records will look similar to the following. Be aware the content the apex records points to may vary by WP Engine network type.

11. Click Continue.
12. Cloudflare will display several nameservers. Leave this page open for easy copying in the next step.
13. Log in to the domain registrar’s dashboard (where the domain was purchased).
14. Locate the area to edit nameservers.
    • Often this is in the same area where to manage DNS records. You may need to select an option to set “custom nameservers”.
15. Replace any existing nameservers with Cloudflare’s nameservers and save.

That’s it! You can track propagation of DNS changes on a site like this. Be advised, the nameservers and DNS settings may take some time to change over from here. This is largely dependent on the DNS host itself. If you have concerns regarding propagation, reach out to the DNS provider where you purchased the domain and where you pointed the nameservers to Cloudflare.

Updating the nameservers for your domain will affect all records associated with it, including email addresses. Cloudflare does its best to import existing records but be sure to work with your email host be sure you’ve copied over any extra DNS records into Cloudflare.

Cloudflare offers many extra services and options so be sure to configure them properly. Learn more about Cloudflare in our Best Practices guide.

---

Point DNS Using A Records

An A record is used to point DNS to a static IP address. As a managed WordPress host, in rare cases for security, WP Engine may change IP addresses. This means your site may go down or experience issues until DNS has been updated to the new IP address. While A records are fully supported by WP Engine, it’s recommended to point DNS using CNAME records instead, when possible, to prevent the need to update DNS in an emergency.

When pointing DNS to WP Engine, two IP addresses will be provided, and two separate A records using each IP address must be created for the apex domain (i.e. the non-www variation).

Dual A records are only required when pointing the apex domain (EX: yourdomain.com). All subdomains should be pointed using a CNAME record instead (EX: www.domain.com or blog.domain.com).

Adding only one of these A records can result in website instability and is not recommended. If a single IP is needed, please reach out to our Support team for the legacy network IP address.

1. Log in to your DNS host’s dashboard and locate the area to view and manage DNS records.
   • This is usually the registrar where the domain was purchased.
   • If you are not sure who your DNS host is search for your domain on WHOIs.
2. Update the first A record:
   • If there is an existing A record for the apex domain (named @ or yourdomain.com):
     • Edit the record
     • Change the “Value” field to the first WP Engine IP address
     • Save
   • If there is no existing A record for the apex domain (named @ or yourdomain.com):
     • Add a new A record
     • Name the record @ or yourdomain.com (the domain excluding “www”). Both record names are interchangeable, although the DNS provider may enforce a preference.
   • Set the value to the first WP Engine IP address
   • Save
3. Add the second A record:
   • Add a new A record
   • Name the record @ or yourdomain.com (the domain excluding “www”). Both record names are interchangeable, although the DNS provider may enforce a preference.
   • Set the value to the second WP Engine IP address
   • Save
4. Update the “www” record:
   • If the www record exists and it points to @, then no further changes are needed.
   • If the www record exists and it points to anything other to @ or yourdomain.com:
     • Delete the record and add a new record below.
   • To add the www record:
     • Add a new CNAME record
     • Name the record www
     • Set the value to @ or yourdomain.com (the domain excluding “www”). Both record values are interchangeable, although the DNS provider may enforce a preference.
   • Save

That’s it! Now DNS will begin to propagate the change throughout the internet, and begin sending traffic to your WP Engine website. Propagating can be tracked on a site such as WhatsMyDNS.net.

Completed DNS using A records will look like the following:

If you need additional assistance configuring DNS records, we recommend contacting your DNS provider directly and supplying the WP Engine DNS record values. As DNS is managed third-party to WP Engine, we are limited in our ability to assist and cannot configure DNS on your behalf.

---

NEXT STEP: Learn how to add an SSL and secure all pages over HTTPS