How to point a domain at a VPS

The two ways, and when each is right

Connecting a domain to a server is one DNS record. The real decision is where that record lives:

• Connect a domain you already own and manage its DNS records alongside your server. Registration and renewal stay with your current registrar.
• Leave DNS where it is — add a single A record at your current DNS host pointing at the server's IP. Right when the domain carries a working mail setup or someone else manages it and you don't want to touch anything.

Both end the same way: the name resolves to your VPS. Neither is "more correct".

Option A — move the zone to IntoClouds

Open DNS → Connect domain in the panel, then review the discovered records before changing nameservers.

Set the nameservers shown in the panel at your registrar. DNS caches expire at different times; check A, AAAA, MX and TXT records after the change.

• Review all DNS records before changing nameservers. Automatic discovery may miss records; keep a copy of the current zone and check website and email after the switch.

Option B — one A record at your current DNS host

Copy the server's public IP from the panel (Servers → your server), then at your current DNS host add:

• A record, name @, value <server-ip>;
• A record, name www, same IP (or a CNAME to the apex) if you want the www variant to work.

Keep the TTL low (300–600s) while you're testing so mistakes cost minutes, not hours. Raise it later if you like.

Verify it actually worked

dig +short yourdomain.com (or an online DNS checker) should return the server's IP. Then open the domain in a browser — if the server runs a site on port 80 (say, one-click WordPress), it appears. If you get the old site, your resolver is still caching; give the TTL time to expire before debugging anything else.

Serving mail from this domain too? Set up mailboxes on your own domain — with the zone hosted here, the mail records are added for you.