How to connect a custom domain with Hostinger

Add the ScaleEdges DNS records in Hostinger's DNS / Nameservers section, remove the conflicting default records, and activate HTTPS on your domain.

4 min read
Illustration showing Hostinger’s DNS management interface with fields for A and CNAME records, linked to a preview of a website with furniture, demonstrating how to connect a custom domain to Hostinger.

Use this guide when your domain uses the Hostinger nameservers, which end with dns-parking.com. If your nameservers belong to another company, add the records there instead. See Find where your DNS is managed.

Hostinger domains usually include default records for a Hostinger website or parking page. You will replace the records of the host you connect to ScaleEdges and keep everything else, including Hostinger's default CAA records.

Step 1: Get your records in ScaleEdges

  1. In your ScaleEdges dashboard, open Settings and select the Storefront tab.
  2. In the Custom domain card, enter your domain in Domain you own, for example shop.yourbrand.com or yourbrand.com.
  3. Select Connect domain and wait for the DNS records to add table.
  4. Keep this tab open. You will copy the Type, Name / host and Value of each row.

ScaleEdges shows a CNAME record for a subdomain, an A record for a root domain, and sometimes a TXT verification record.

Step 2: Open the DNS records in Hostinger

  1. Sign in to Hostinger.
  2. Open Domains in the left menu, then select your domain, or select the ⋯ button next to it and choose Manage.
  3. Open DNS / Nameservers in the left menu, then the DNS records tab.

The top of the page contains the form used to add a record. The list below shows the existing records, with a search field and a delete button for each record.

If your domain currently shows a website hosted at Hostinger and the Hostinger CDN is enabled for it, disable the CDN before changing the records of that host.

Step 3: Add the records

For a subdomain (CNAME)

  1. In the list, search for the subdomain, for example shop. Delete any A, AAAA or CNAME record with this name.
  2. In the form, set Type to CNAME.
  3. In Name, enter only the subdomain, for example shop. Hostinger adds your domain automatically.
  4. In Target, paste the Value shown in ScaleEdges.
  5. Keep the default TTL or enter 300, then select Add Record.

For a root domain (A)

  1. In the list, find the A records named @. Delete those that point to Hostinger or to a previous host.
  2. Delete any AAAA record named @. ScaleEdges uses IPv4 only.
  3. Also delete any CNAME or ALIAS record named @, if one exists.
  4. In the form, set Type to A.
  5. In Name, enter @.
  6. In Points to, paste the IPv4 address shown in ScaleEdges.
  7. Keep the default TTL or enter 300, then select Add Record.

At the end, @ must have exactly one A record, with the address shown in ScaleEdges. Replacing the records of @ disconnects any website hosted at Hostinger on your root domain.

If ScaleEdges shows a TXT record

  1. In the form, set Type to TXT.
  2. In Name, enter the part of the name before your domain, usually _vercel.
  3. In the value field, paste the value shown in ScaleEdges. It starts with vc-domain-verify=.
  4. Select Add Record. Keep your other TXT records, such as SPF.

Keep the CAA records

Hostinger adds CAA records to new domains. Hostinger recommends keeping them, because deleting or changing them can prevent certificates from being issued. Search the list for CAA records and check that one of them contains letsencrypt.org, the authority that issues your store's HTTPS certificate. If none does, add a record with Type CAA, Name @, flag 0, tag issue and the value letsencrypt.org.

Step 4: Check the configuration

  1. Return to Settings → Storefront → Custom domain in ScaleEdges.
  2. Select Check DNS configuration.
  3. When the status changes to Configuring HTTPS, wait a few minutes, then check again.
  4. When the status shows Active, select Open domain to view your store.

Hostinger's default TTL is 4 hours (14400 seconds), so replaced records can take a few hours to disappear everywhere. Hostinger indicates that changes can take up to 24 hours to propagate. HTTPS is activated automatically by ScaleEdges; you do not need a Hostinger SSL certificate for your store.

Troubleshooting

  • The status stays on Waiting for DNS: search the list for the host and remove any remaining A, AAAA or CNAME record. Also check that the Name field contains only shop, not shop.yourbrand.com.
  • The status stays on Configuring HTTPS: check the CAA records and make sure the CDN is disabled for this host.
  • Redirecting www: a store uses one custom domain. To send the other version of your domain to your store, set up a redirect at Hostinger to https:// followed by your connected domain, then test it with http:// and https://.

For every other situation, read Custom domain troubleshooting.

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