Learn how to connect your GoDaddy domain to a DigitalOcean droplet. Our DigitalOcean Support team is here to help you with your questions and concerns.

How to Connect Your GoDaddy Domain to a DigitalOcean Droplet

Connecting a GoDaddy domain to a DigitalOcean droplet offers a range of benefits that enhance web hosting and domain management.

Today, we will explore the advantages and walk through the step-by-step process of linking a domain to our droplet.

Why Connect a GoDaddy Domain to DigitalOcean?

• Transferring domain management to DigitalOcean allows us to centralize control over DNS records, making configuration and updates seamless. This integration streamlines the web infrastructure by letting us manage hosting and domains from one platform.
• DigitalOcean droplets offer better performance and granular control over server configurations.
• Hosting with DigitalOcean is often more budget-friendly than traditional hosting plans.
• Managing DNS records through DigitalOcean ensures a user-friendly experience.
• Linking our GoDaddy domain to a DigitalOcean droplet eliminates the need to use raw IP addresses, ensuring visitors access our site through a clean, memorable domain name.

Step-by-Step Guide: Connecting A GoDaddy Domain to DigitalOcean

1: Configure Your Domain in DigitalOcean

1. 1. First, log into the DigitalOcean dashboard.
   2. Then, go to the Networking tab in the left sidebar.
   3. Next, go to the Domains section and click Add Domain.

1. Enter the exact domain name and choose the droplet we want to link.
2. Now, it is time to create A records. We begin by creating an A record for the root domain.
3. In the Hostname field, use the `@` symbol (which represents the root domain).
4. Then, select the droplet from the Will Direct To menu.
5. Now, leave TTL at 3600 seconds.
6. Next, we have to repeat the A record creation process, but this time, we add www to the hostname. This ensures that both the root domain and the www subdomain will direct users to your droplet. Then, click Create Record for each A record to finalize the configuration.

2: Update Nameservers in GoDaddy

1. At this point, we have to update Nameservers in GoDaddy. So log into the GoDaddy account.
2. Then, go to the Domain Control Center.
3. Next, find the domain and click Manage DNS.
4. Now, it is time to change Nameservers. So, go to the Nameservers section and click Change.
5. Then, replace existing nameservers with DigitalOcean’s:
   • `ns1.digitalocean.com`
   • `ns2.digitalocean.com`
   • `ns3.digitalocean.com`
6. Finally, save the changes.

3: Verify DNS Propagation

1. Wait for propagation as DNS changes may take 1–3 hours to propagate, though sometimes up to 72 hours.
2. Use online tools like whatsmydns.net or check-host.net to confirm the domain points to the correct IP.

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Conclusion

Connecting a GoDaddy domain to a DigitalOcean droplet unlocks more control, flexibility, and scalability for our website.

In brief, our Support Experts demonstrated how to connect your GoDaddy domain to a DigitalOcean droplet.