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Domain, DNS, and Business Email Basics: Who Owns What

Your website and email depend on a few separate services that often come from different companies. When something breaks, or when you switch providers, knowing who controls what saves a lot of stress.

The four pieces

  • Domain name (like yourbusiness.com): you rent it yearly from a domain registrar.
  • DNS (Domain Name System): the settings that tell the internet where your website and email live. DNS is often managed at your registrar, but it can be somewhere else, like your host or a DNS service.
  • Web hosting: the server where your website's files and database live.
  • Business email: the service that handles your This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. mailbox. It's best kept separate from your web hosting.

These can all be with one company or with four different ones.

Why we keep email separate from web hosting

We keep email off our web servers for tighter security. If your website has a problem, or you change hosts, your email keeps working. A dedicated email service is also built to filter spam, block phishing, and keep your messages deliverable.

We recommend a dedicated service such as Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or Proton Mail. Each works well for small businesses, so the right one depends on the tools your team already uses. We can take care of the setup for you, including the DNS records each service needs.

Why ownership matters

  • The domain should be registered in your business's name, with an email address you control. If a former employee, designer, or agency registered it in their name, getting it back can be hard.
  • Know your registrar login. Keep it in a password manager with two-factor authentication turned on.
  • Turn on auto-renew and keep the payment card current. An expired domain takes your website and email down, and someone else can register it.
  • Keep contact details current so renewal and security notices reach you.

What DNS records do

You don't need to edit DNS yourself, but it helps to know the common records:

  • A / AAAA records: point your domain to your web server.
  • CNAME records: point one name to another (often used for www).
  • MX records: tell the internet where to deliver your email.
  • TXT records: used for verification and email security, including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, which help keep your email out of spam folders and stop others from faking your address.

DNS changes can take a while to spread across the internet, so plan changes ahead of time.

When you change providers

  • Moving your website usually means changing A records. Your email shouldn't be affected if MX records stay the same, but check before you change anything.
  • Moving email means changing MX and related TXT records. Plan the switch so no mail gets lost.
  • Moving your domain to another registrar is separate from moving hosting. You'll need to unlock it and get a transfer code.

Before any change, write down or export your current DNS records.

Quick checklist

  • [ ] Domain is in the business's name
  • [ ] You have the registrar login, with two-factor authentication
  • [ ] Auto-renew is on
  • [ ] You know where DNS is managed
  • [ ] You know who hosts your website and who handles your email
  • [ ] SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are set up for your email
  • [ ] Logins are stored somewhere the business controls, not one person's inbox

Related

How 3by400 can help

Whether we build your site or you move an existing one to us, we can host it with our boutique hosting, which includes all the usual hosting features plus tight security, nightly backups, and 24/7 outage monitoring. If you're moving your site to our boutique hosting, we handle the whole move, including DNS, so you don't have to change records yourself. That includes keeping your email records (MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) pointed at your email service so mail keeps flowing. Email itself stays with your email provider, and we can set up Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or Proton Mail if you need it. Start a project or move your site.

Start a project

Ready to talk about your website? Start a project or reach us at 678-379-9321 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We're based in Dalton, GA, and work with businesses everywhere.

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