Bluehost DNS Records: How to Add, Edit, and Fix DNS Settings
A beginner-friendly walkthrough for pointing a domain, connecting email, verifying services, and troubleshooting DNS without accidentally taking your website offline.
To manage Bluehost DNS records, sign in to the Bluehost Portal, open Domains, select the domain, and choose the DNS tab. From Manage Advanced DNS Records, you can add, edit, or delete A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, and other records. Copy every existing value before changing anything, use the exact destination supplied by the service you are connecting, and allow time for DNS caches to refresh.
What Bluehost DNS records actually do
The Domain Name System (DNS) connects human-friendly names such as example.com with the technical destinations used by websites, email servers, and online services. A DNS record is one instruction inside that system.
Your DNS host is the provider operating the domain’s authoritative nameservers. If the domain uses Bluehost nameservers, you normally manage its DNS records in Bluehost. If the nameservers point to Cloudflare, GoDaddy, or another provider, changing a record inside Bluehost may have no effect because Bluehost is not the authoritative DNS host.
Common Bluehost DNS record types
| Type | What it controls | Typical value | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Maps a hostname to an IPv4 address. | 192.0.2.10 |
Entering an old server IP or creating conflicting A records. |
| AAAA | Maps a hostname to an IPv6 address. | 2001:db8::10 |
Leaving an outdated AAAA record that sends some visitors elsewhere. |
| CNAME | Makes one hostname an alias of another hostname. | shops.example.net |
Entering a full URL with https:// or a page path. |
| MX | Identifies the servers receiving email. | mail.example.com plus priority |
Removing required MX records or using the wrong priority. |
| TXT | Holds verification values and policies such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. | provider-verification=... |
Adding quotation marks or spaces not included by the provider. |
| NS | Delegates DNS authority to nameservers. | ns1.provider.com |
Changing nameservers without copying website and email records first. |
| SRV | Locates a service by protocol, hostname, port, and priority. | Service-specific values | Mixing up priority, weight, port, and target fields. |
| CAA | Can restrict which certificate authorities may issue certificates. | 0 issue "letsencrypt.org" |
Blocking the certificate authority your host uses. |
The examples above are documentation values, not settings to paste into a live domain. Always use the exact host, destination, priority, and TTL given by the service you are connecting.
How to find DNS settings in the current Bluehost Portal
If your interface looks different, use Bluehost’s current DNS-tab documentation linked in the sources below. Account type and portal updates can affect the available navigation.
How to add, edit, or delete a Bluehost DNS record
Add a record
- Under Manage Advanced DNS Records, select + Add record.
- Choose whether to add a single record or multiple records.
- Select the record type.
- Enter the host/name, destination/value, priority, and TTL exactly as supplied.
- Review the entry and save it.
Edit a record
- Find the correct record by type and host.
- Open the three-dot menu beside it and select Edit.
- Change only the field provided by the destination service.
- Check the entire row, then save.
Delete a record
Use the three-dot menu beside the exact record and choose Delete. Deletion can interrupt a website, email, certificate, or connected service. Keep a copy of the record first and confirm that no active service depends on it.
Common Bluehost DNS setup examples
Point the root domain to a web server
Your host may ask you to create or replace an A record for @ using a specific IPv4 address. The @ symbol commonly represents the root domain, but the Bluehost form may display the domain name instead. Do not copy an IP address from an online example.
Connect the www hostname
A provider may instruct you to use a CNAME for www pointing to a hostname. Enter only the hostname requested—not https://, a slash, or a web-page path—unless the provider explicitly instructs otherwise.
Connect a third-party email provider
Email providers usually supply one or more MX records with priorities, plus TXT records for ownership verification and email authentication. Replace MX records only as directed. An incomplete MX switch may cause mail to be delivered inconsistently or rejected.
Verify Search Console or another service
The service normally provides a unique TXT value. Add it to the requested host, save, allow caches to update, and then retry verification. Keep the verification record unless the service says it can be removed.
Move a website to a new host without changing URLs
Prepare and test the new site first, then update the required DNS record. Monitor the old and new infrastructure during the transition. Google’s hosting-migration guidance recommends keeping the old hosting available until you are confident users and Googlebot are reaching the new site.
Editing records vs. changing nameservers
| Action | What changes | Use it when | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edit a DNS record | One service or hostname destination. | You are connecting a website, email provider, verification, or subdomain. | The affected service can stop working if the value is wrong. |
| Change nameservers | Which provider is authoritative for the entire DNS zone. | You intentionally want another provider to manage DNS. | Any record missing from the new DNS zone can break web, email, or other services. |
Bluehost’s documented default nameservers include ns1.bluehost.com and ns2.bluehost.com. However, use the exact nameservers displayed for your account or supplied by Bluehost; specialized services such as Premium DNS, VPS, dedicated, or agency hosting may differ.
How long Bluehost DNS changes take
A saved DNS change can appear quickly for one person and remain cached for another. The delay depends on the record’s previous TTL, resolver caching, the type of change, and the networks checking it. Bluehost advises allowing roughly 24–48 hours for many nameserver changes, while some of its documentation notes that worldwide refreshes can occasionally take longer.
This does not mean every change needs two days. Many record updates appear sooner, but there is no responsible way to guarantee an exact time for every visitor or resolver.
Bluehost DNS troubleshooting checklist
| Symptom | Check first | Likely next action |
|---|---|---|
| Website does not load | Authoritative nameservers, root A/AAAA records, and www record. | Compare the live values with the hosting provider’s required values. |
| Only some visitors see the new site | Recent DNS change and previous TTL. | Wait for caches to expire; test with more than one resolver or network. |
| Email stopped arriving | MX records, priority, and email-host instructions. | Restore the saved records or apply the complete MX set from the mail provider. |
| Messages go to spam | SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. | Use the email provider’s diagnostic tools; avoid creating multiple SPF records for the same hostname. |
| TXT verification fails | Host/name field, exact value, and authoritative DNS provider. | Remove accidental spaces or quotes and wait for caching before retrying. |
| HTTPS warning appears | Domain points to the intended server and the certificate covers the hostname. | Complete the host’s SSL setup after DNS resolves correctly. |
| Subdomain fails | Subdomain A/CNAME value and conflicting records. | Follow the destination platform’s exact host and target instructions. |
For external verification, use a reputable DNS lookup tool to see what public resolvers return. Do not treat one lookup location as proof that every cache has updated.
Safe-change checklist before you press Save
- Confirm Bluehost is the authoritative DNS host.
- Export or screenshot the complete current DNS zone.
- Copy values from the official destination provider—not a third-party tutorial.
- Confirm the record type, host, target, priority, and TTL.
- Check for conflicting A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, or TXT entries.
- Schedule risky changes when support and site owners are available.
- Test the website, www hostname, email sending/receiving, and critical subdomains afterward.
- Keep the old web hosting active during a planned migration until traffic has moved.
Frequently asked questions
Where are DNS records in Bluehost?
In the current Bluehost Portal, open Domains, select the relevant domain if necessary, and choose the DNS tab. Records appear under Manage Advanced DNS Records.
What is the difference between Bluehost DNS records and nameservers?
Nameservers identify the provider authoritative for the domain’s DNS zone. DNS records are the individual instructions inside that zone. Changing one record affects a specific destination; changing nameservers can shift management of the entire zone.
How long do Bluehost DNS changes take?
Some record changes become visible quickly, but caching makes timing variable. Bluehost recommends allowing about 24–48 hours for many nameserver changes. Previous TTL and resolver behavior influence the actual time.
Can I use a Bluehost domain with another web host?
Yes. Depending on the provider’s instructions, you can point individual DNS records to the other host or change the domain’s nameservers. If you change nameservers, recreate all required web, email, verification, and subdomain records at the new DNS host.
Can I undo a bad DNS change?
You can restore the previous value if you recorded or exported it. The corrected value may still need time to replace cached data. If the previous values are unknown, contact the service responsible for the website or email before making additional changes.
Should I delete old DNS records?
Only after confirming that no active service depends on them. Unfamiliar TXT, CNAME, MX, or CAA records may support verification, email authentication, SSL, or third-party tools.
