Change Your Domain Name in Hostinger's Control Panel

To change your website address in Hostinger, you log into your account, go to the Domains section, and update the primary domain linked to your hosting. The process takes about five minutes and does not require you to buy a new hosting plan — you are straightforward pointing your existing hosting to a different domain name.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you already own the new domain name or need to register one first. If you own it elsewhere, you will need to update nameservers. If you are registering it through Hostinger, the system connects it automatically.

Key Takeaways

  • Log into your Hostinger account, navigate to Domains, and select the domain you want to change to set it as primary.
  • If your new domain is registered outside Hostinger, you must point its nameservers to Hostinger's nameservers before the change takes effect.
  • DNS changes can take 24 to 48 hours to propagate across the internet, so your site may be unreachable during this window.
  • Your old website address will stop working once you change the primary domain, so update any links or bookmarks beforehand.
  • If you registered your domain through Hostinger, the nameserver update happens automatically and your site switches over within minutes.

Register or Transfer Your New Domain First

Before you change your website address in Hostinger, you need to own the domain name you want to use. You can register a new domain directly through Hostinger during the change process, or you can transfer an existing domain from another registrar.

If you are registering through Hostinger, go to the Domains section of your control panel, click "Register Domain," search for the name you want, and complete the purchase. Hostinger will automatically connect it to your hosting, so you can skip the nameserver step below.

If your domain is registered elsewhere (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, or another registrar), you do not need to move it. You only need to update its nameservers to point to Hostinger. Write down Hostinger's nameservers before you start — you will find them in your Hostinger account under Domains or in the welcome email you received when you signed up.

Update Nameservers If Your Domain Is Elsewhere

If your new domain is registered at another company, log into that registrar's account and find the nameserver settings. The location varies by registrar — it might be called "Nameservers," "DNS," or "Domain Settings." Delete the old nameservers and enter Hostinger's two nameservers in their place.

Hostinger's nameservers are typically ns1.hostinger.com and ns2.hostinger.com, but confirm these in your Hostinger account because they can vary by region. Save the changes at your registrar. The update can take 24 to 48 hours to spread across the internet — during this time, your website may be down or unreachable.

You do not need to do anything else at Hostinger while you wait. Once the nameservers propagate, Hostinger will recognize the domain and you can set it as your primary domain in the next step.

Set Your New Domain as Primary in Hostinger

Log into your Hostinger control panel and go to the Domains section. You will see a list of all domains connected to your account. Find the domain name you want to use and click on it to open its settings.

Look for an option that says "Set as Primary" or "Primary Domain" and click it. This tells Hostinger to point your hosting and website files to this domain instead of your old one. The change takes effect when ready if the domain is already registered through Hostinger, or within a few minutes after nameservers finish propagating if it is registered elsewhere.

Your old domain will no longer display your website once you make this change. If you want to keep the old domain active (to redirect visitors to your new address, for example), you can set up a redirect in Hostinger's Domains section, but that is a separate step.

What Happens During the Transition

When you change your primary domain, your website files stay exactly where they are on Hostinger's servers. You are only changing which domain name points to those files. Your email, databases, and all other hosting features remain unchanged.

If nameservers are still propagating, some visitors may see an error or your old site for up to 48 hours. This is normal and not a problem with your hosting. You can check propagation status using a free tool like whatsmydns.net — enter your new domain name and it will show you whether nameservers have updated worldwide.

Once propagation is complete, your new domain will display your website. Search engines will eventually recognize the change, but it can take weeks for them to fully update their records. If you want to speed this up, you can submit your new domain to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.

Redirect Your Old Domain to Your New One

If you want visitors who type your old domain name to automatically see your new website, set up a redirect. In Hostinger's control panel, go to Domains, select your old domain, and look for a "Redirect" or "Domain Forwarding" option.

Choose "Permanent Redirect" (a 301 redirect) so search engines know the move is permanent. Enter your new domain as the destination. This tells browsers to send anyone who visits the old address straight to the new one. The redirect takes effect within minutes.

A permanent redirect also helps preserve your search engine rankings because it tells Google and other search engines that your content has moved, not disappeared. You can keep the redirect active as long as you own the old domain, or remove it once you are confident all your traffic has switched over.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If your website does not appear after changing the primary domain, first check whether nameservers have finished propagating. Use whatsmydns.net to verify. If nameservers show as updated but your site is still down, wait another few hours — propagation can be uneven across different parts of the internet.

If you see a "This domain is parked" message or an error page, the nameservers may not have updated yet, or you may have skipped the "Set as Primary" step in Hostinger. Log back into your Hostinger control panel and confirm that your new domain is marked as primary.

If your email stops working after the change, check that your email records (MX records) are still pointing to Hostinger. If you changed nameservers, Hostinger's default MX records should explore automatically, but some registrars require you to set them manually. Contact Hostinger support with your domain name and they can confirm your email settings are correct.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take for my new domain to work?

If you registered the domain through Hostinger, your site switches over within minutes. If your domain is registered elsewhere, nameservers take 24 to 48 hours to propagate worldwide. Some visitors may see your old site during this window — this is normal and not a problem.

Do I lose my website files or data when I change the domain?

No. Your website files, databases, emails, and all other hosting data stay on Hostinger's servers. You are only changing which domain name points to them. Everything remains exactly as it was.

Can I keep my old domain active after I change to a new one?

Yes. You can set up a permanent redirect so visitors who type your old domain are sent to your new one. This also helps preserve your search engine rankings. You can keep the redirect active indefinitely or remove it later.

What if I registered my domain at GoDaddy or another company?

Log into that company's account, find the nameserver settings, and replace the old nameservers with Hostinger's nameservers (usually ns1.hostinger.com and ns2.hostinger.com). Confirm the correct nameservers in your Hostinger account first. The change takes 24 to 48 hours to take effect.

Will my search rankings be affected?

A permanent (301) redirect preserves most of your search rankings because it tells search engines your content has moved. Submit your new domain to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools to speed up the update. Rankings may fluctuate slightly during the transition, but a proper redirect minimizes the impact.