When a domain is newly registered, the nameservers are changed, or DNS changes are made, you can expect a propagation time up to 24 hours. This is because it takes time for the DNS to take effect across the internet. The actual time of propagation may vary in some locations based on your network setup.
What is DNS propagation? #
When you make a DNS change, it takes time for the changes to take effect. This is called DNS propagation. It is the time it takes for the domain DNS to refresh the cache on the network.
How long does it take to refresh my DNS cache? #
The cache is cleared over a certain amount of time. We suggest waiting up to 24 hours for the DNS cache to be fully refreshed. DNS will refresh according to the “TTL” or “Time To Live“. When the DNS refreshes according to its TTL, the propagation is complete and your site will load.
How do I check if my domain DNS is propagated? #
You can always check where your domain is pointing by the following domain routing tool.
You can also ping and trace route your domain locally from your Windows/Mac command prompt to verify what IP you are actually seeing. If the ping and traceroute test show your server with us in the outcome, you know the DNS is propagated.
Can I speed up the propagation process? #
The quick answer is no. You can try speeding up the propagation time by having your TTL set to a lower number (not recommended). This will refresh the DNS at a quicker rate. We set the default TTL to 14400 (4 hours); however the network that you are using to access the internet may update at a slower rate.
You can try Clearing your DNS cache or “Flush the DNS“. For information on how to flush your DNS, please see our article on How do I clear my local DNS cache?. Clearing your DNS cache does not always work, so sometimes you will just need to wait.