DNS propagation is how long it takes for various ISP’s (Internet Service Providers) to refresh their cached data on where a domain name is pointed.
DNS propagation occurs when any changes are made to a domain name including nameserver updates or changes to individual DNS records such as A, CNAME, MX or TXT records.
Propagation is not a linear process as different servers around the world have different caching times. Due to this DNS updates can take 2-8 hours to come into effect, however in some cases it can take 24-48 hours before the change is reflected around the world.
Updates to your domain name’s DNS do not cause downtime for the domain name, as the changes are a gradual shift over to the updated records that you have in place.
When checking the status of DNS propagation we recommend checking a few sites such as WhatsmyDNS or DNS checker to see how the changes are propagating out.
Please be aware that while these sites may show a record as successfully propagated, your web browser or internet provider may still be using cached records and you may be seeing the old record locally. To help with this, check the site using an incognito window in your web browser, using another browser on your device or using another device not connected to the same network you are currently on such as a phone on a data connection rather than WiFi.
If 24-48 hours have passed since you have made any DNS changes to your domain name with us, feel free to reach out to our support team here or via LiveChat and we will be happy to Help!
