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Every new Pressable site starts on a temporary address. Putting your real domain on it takes two steps: point DNS at Pressable, then add the domain in MyPressable. The order is flexible, but there are a couple of traps around email and SSL that are worth avoiding.
Step 1: Pick a DNS method
| Method | What you change | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Domain Setup Wizard | Nothing by hand, if your registrar is supported | The quickest route |
| Nameservers | Switch to ns1 through ns4.openhostingservice.com | Sites with no email on the domain, or where you want Pressable to manage DNS |
| A records | Add the two Pressable IPs for @ and www | Anyone with email or other services on the domain |
If the domain has email (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, anything), use the A record method. Switching nameservers moves all your DNS, MX records included, and email goes down until you recreate them. Pressable asks you to contact them first if you want to go the nameserver route with email in place.
Step 2: Set the A records
Find the two IP addresses in the Domains section of the site in MyPressable. Then at your DNS host:
- Create two A records for
@, one per IP. - Create two A records for
www, one per IP, or one CNAME fromwwwto the root. - Remove any old A or AAAA records that point to the previous host.
Some DNS hosts refuse two A records on the same name. You can get by with one IP, but it is not ideal. Moving DNS to a better provider is the cleaner fix.
Step 3: Add the domain in MyPressable
- Open the site and go to Domains.
- Click Add Domain and enter the version without www. Pressable adds www for you.
- Click the star next to the domain you want as primary. Every other domain on the site redirects to it.
Step 4: Check SSL and health
Each domain shows three status icons that turn green as SSL is provisioned. If you added the domain long before DNS pointed at Pressable, the certificate may never have been issued. Use Actions > Retry SSL once. It covers every domain on the site.
The Health column is green when the domain works and yellow when something is off. Actions > Zone Info tells you why. “No DNS records found” almost always means DNS has not updated yet.
Special cases
- Coming from WordPress.com or another Pressable site: you may need two Atomic TXT records, one for www and one for the root. Get them from Actions > Manage Records.
- Subdomains: create them at your registrar, then point them with either method.
- Accented or non-Latin characters: enter the domain in Punycode.
- Old URLs still ranking: add redirects from the old domain. My Pressable redirects guide covers custom-redirects.php.
DNS usually settles in under an hour. The stated worst case is 72 hours. Clear your browser cache, or test from your phone on cellular, before deciding something is broken.
Not on Pressable yet? Free SSL, Edge Cache, and a setup wizard that handles DNS for many registrars come with every plan.
FAQ
What are Pressable’s nameservers?
ns1.openhostingservice.com through ns4.openhostingservice.com. Only use them if you want Pressable to manage all DNS for the domain.
How do I change the primary domain on Pressable?
In MyPressable, open the site’s Domains section and click the star next to the domain you want. Other domains on the site redirect to it.
Why does my Pressable site have no SSL certificate?
Usually because the domain was added before DNS pointed at Pressable. Go to Actions, then Retry SSL, once DNS is in place.