You have a domain registered with one company and a website hosted with Bluehost.
How do you connect them without interrupting your email?
The short answer: add the domain in Bluehost, connect it to the right website, then update the necessary DNS settings while keeping your email records intact.
This guide walks you through the process in plain English.
You do not have to transfer your domain registration to Bluehost. DNS changes can still cause temporary disruptions, so back up your records first.
Quick Answer: Connect Your Domain in 5 Steps
- Save your DNS records. Copy your current A, CNAME, MX, and TXT records before making changes.
- Add your domain in Bluehost. Open Domains → Add a Domain → Connect an external domain.
- Choose your website. Attach the domain to the correct hosting plan and existing or new WordPress site.
- Update DNS at your registrar. Use Bluehost’s nameservers or the specific DNS records your setup supports.
- Test everything. Check your website, HTTPS, and incoming and outgoing email.
Important: The steps and labels in the Bluehost Portal can vary by hosting product.
Follow the instructions shown for your account. The process above matches Bluehost’s external-domain guide.
Before You Start: What You Need
- Your Bluehost login and an active hosting plan.
- Your domain registrar login (the company where the domain is registered).
- The domain name you want to connect.
- A copy of all existing DNS records, including email-related records.
- The name of your email provider, such as Bluehost, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or another service.
- A website backup if you’re replacing or moving an existing site.
Not sure whether you own the domain or just rent hosting? See our article Do I Own My Website with Bluehost?
Step 1: Add the Domain to Bluehost
- Sign in to your Bluehost Portal.
- In the left menu, select Domains.
- Select Add a Domain, then Connect an external domain.
- Enter your domain name and follow the prompts.
- Open the domain entry after it appears in your Bluehost account.
This step adds the domain to Bluehost’s management interface. It does not move the domain registration.
If you registered it elsewhere, you normally continue renewing it there.
Step 2: Connect the Domain to the Right Website
- Select the external domain in Bluehost.
- Find the Connections area and choose Add on the Website card, if shown.
- Select the hosting plan you want to use.
- Choose an existing website or a new WordPress installation.
- For an existing site, you may need Websites → Manage Site → Domains → Add Domain. Follow the Finish Setup or Finish Connection prompts.
Already have several websites? Double-check the selected site.
Connecting the domain to the wrong WordPress installation can make visitors see the wrong page. Bluehost also documents the alternative Websites tab connection process.
Step 3: Choose How Your DNS Will Point to Bluehost
DNS is the system that tells browsers and email services where to go.
There are two possible connection methods, but not every Bluehost hosting setup supports both. Use the method Bluehost specifies for your account.
Option A: Change the Domain’s Nameservers
For many external-domain setups, Bluehost asks you to change nameservers at your registrar.
Its standard nameservers are ns1.bluehost.com and ns2.bluehost.com. Confirm these are the ones shown in your own account before saving.
- Copy the existing DNS zone records first.
- Sign in to your domain registrar.
- Open the domain’s Nameservers settings.
- Replace the current nameservers with the ones Bluehost instructs you to use.
- Ask Bluehost how to prepare the new DNS zone, including email records, before switching.
Why this matters: Changing nameservers changes which provider answers DNS questions for the entire domain—not just the website.
Missing email or verification records can disrupt other services. See Bluehost’s nameserver precautions.
DNSSEC warning: If your domain uses DNSSEC, coordinate any necessary changes to its security records with your registrar before changing nameservers.
Incorrect DNSSEC records can prevent your website and email from resolving. See Bluehost’s DNSSEC safety guidance.
Option B: Update Individual DNS Records
Some setups allow you to keep your current DNS provider and change only the records used by your website.
These may include an A record for the root domain and a suitable record for www.
Use the exact IP address or hostname supplied for your Bluehost site.
Do not guess an IP address. If your Bluehost connection flow requires Bluehost nameservers, ask support whether external DNS is supported for your specific plan before trying this method.
Bluehost’s Domains tab documentation discusses both nameservers and individual DNS records.
Step 4: Protect Your Email Settings
Your website and your email can use different providers. For example, the website may be hosted at Bluehost while your email stays with Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace.
Before switching nameservers, copy the email-related records listed below. Recreate them at the new DNS provider when DNS editing becomes available:
Important: Bluehost says external-domain DNS editing may only be available after the domain starts resolving to its nameservers.
If uninterrupted email is critical, ask Bluehost support how to stage the records and plan the switch before changing nameservers.
- MX records: tell other mail servers where to deliver incoming email. Keep the correct hostnames and priorities.
- SPF (TXT): lists which services are allowed to send email for your domain.
- DKIM (TXT or CNAME): supports cryptographic verification of outgoing messages.
- DMARC (TXT): tells receiving servers how to handle email that fails authentication checks.
- Other records: preserve mail-related CNAME records and verification TXT records your provider requires.
Never copy random MX settings from another website. Use the records supplied by your own email provider.
For outside email, Bluehost may require Remote Mail Exchanger under Email Routing. For email hosted at Bluehost, it may require Local Mail Exchanger.
Bluehost explains these options in its MX and email-routing guide.
Even when records are prepared carefully, DNS caching can cause temporary issues during the switch. Plan a change for a quiet period and test mail afterward.
For a simple explanation of DNS record types, see Cloudflare’s DNS reference.
Step 5: Test the Website and Email
After saving your settings, give DNS time to update.
Bluehost says nameserver changes typically take 24–48 hours worldwide; some documentation allows longer, and individual DNS updates can be faster.
Avoid repeatedly switching records while changes are still propagating.
- Open yourdomain.com in a private browser window.
- Open www.yourdomain.com and check that it reaches the intended site.
- Look for a working HTTPS connection without a certificate warning.
- Send a test email to an address on your domain.
- Send a test email from that address to an outside inbox.
- Check your public NS, A, CNAME, and MX records if the result looks wrong.
Remember: Connecting DNS does not move website files, WordPress content, or existing email messages. Those require separate migration steps when changing providers.
Quick Fixes for Common Problems
The Domain Opens the Wrong Website
Check: The site selected in Bluehost, the public A/CNAME records, and any redirects or caching.
A domain may be connected in the account but still point to an old server.
The Website Works, but Email Does Not
Check: MX records first, then SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and Bluehost email-routing settings. Make sure the active DNS zone contains the values required by your email provider.
The Website Shows an SSL Warning
Check: The domain’s DNS destination and the SSL certificate status in Bluehost. A valid certificate must cover that hostname.
If issuance is pending, follow Bluehost’s prompts rather than ignoring browser warnings. Let’s Encrypt explains domain validation.
The WWW Address Works, but the Main Domain Does Not
Check: Both the root domain and the www hostname. They can use different DNS records and may need separate coverage in your website and SSL settings.
The Domain Still Does Not Work After 48 Hours
Check: The active nameservers at your registrar, the records served by those nameservers, your Bluehost site connection, and any SSL issues.
Some changes can take longer. If settings look right, contact Bluehost support with the domain and a screenshot of the DNS records.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use a GoDaddy or Namecheap domain with Bluehost?
Yes. You can keep the registration with your current registrar and connect the domain to Bluehost hosting.
Add the external domain in Bluehost, then follow the DNS instructions for your specific setup. Back up mail records before changing nameservers.
2. Do I have to transfer my domain to Bluehost?
No. A domain connection points your website to hosting.
A domain transfer moves management of the registration. They’re different actions, and a transfer is not usually required just to host your website at Bluehost.
3. How long will the connection take?
Adding a domain in the portal may take minutes. DNS changes need longer to become visible across networks.
Allow roughly 24–48 hours for nameserver changes, sometimes longer depending on caching and the provider. Record changes may update sooner.
4. Will changing nameservers delete my website?
No. A nameserver change does not delete website files or a WordPress database.
However, it can send visitors to the wrong or unfinished website if DNS is configured incorrectly. Back up the site and prepare the new hosting before switching.
5. Can I keep Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 email?
Yes, in many configurations. Keep the provider’s required MX and authentication records in the active DNS zone.
If you’re changing nameservers, those records must exist with the new DNS host. Check Bluehost’s email-routing settings when relevant.
6. What happens if I forget my MX records?
Incoming mail may not reach the correct mail service. Recover the exact MX records from your email provider and add them to the active DNS zone.
Test delivery afterward. Email already stored in your mailbox is generally separate from DNS settings.
7. What is the difference between an A record and nameservers?
An A record points a hostname to an IPv4 address. Nameservers identify the DNS service that answers requests for your domain.
Changing nameservers affects the DNS authority for the whole domain, so more settings need review.
8. Why does my domain show an SSL error?
A certificate may not yet be issued for your domain, may not cover the correct hostname, or the site may point to the wrong server.
Check DNS first, then your SSL status and validation steps in Bluehost.
9. Can I connect several domains to Bluehost?
Possibly. The number of websites and domains you can connect depends on your exact hosting plan.
Check its limits and make sure each domain is linked to the intended website, not accidentally attached to another site.
10. What should I do if it still isn’t working?
Check the registrar’s nameservers, the public DNS records, the site assigned inside Bluehost, and your SSL status.
If you have verified the settings but problems continue after propagation, contact Bluehost support with screenshots and your domain name.
Final Checklist: Connect Safely
- Your domain is added to Bluehost and connected to the correct website.
- Your DNS is pointed according to your account-specific instructions.
- All needed email and verification records are present.
- Your website loads at both the root and www versions as intended.
- HTTPS works and inbound and outbound email have been tested.
The key to connecting a domain to Bluehost is simple: change the website settings without losing track of the email settings.
If you’re still choosing a plan, compare our Bluehost pricing guide and Bluehost beginner guide.
Follow Bluehost’s current directions before making any live DNS change.