Domain names and DNS explained in plain English
Domain name, hosting, DNS and email are four different things. Knowing that prevents a lot of problems when you get a new website.
Tom Mekenkamp · 9 October 2026 · 7 min read
Domain names and DNS explained: the short answer
Domain names and DNS explained in a few sentences. Your domain name is your address on the internet, such as yourcompany.nl. Your hosting is the computer your website runs on. Your email often runs somewhere else again. DNS is the address book that connects all of this: it tells the rest of the internet where your website lives and where your email should go.
Those are four different things, and they can sit with four different companies. Many problems with a new website happen because someone thinks it's all one thing. Then the website moves, and suddenly the email stops working.
I set up the DNS for every website I build. Below I explain how it works, without jargon wherever possible.
Domain name, hosting, DNS and email: four different things
A comparison with a shop helps. Your domain name is the name above the door. The hosting is the building. Email is the letterbox, and it doesn't have to hang on the same building. DNS is the signpost that sends visitors to the building and post to the right letterbox.
- Domain name. You register it per year through a registrar: a company that's allowed to issue domain names. For .nl, SIDN keeps the central register. A .nl domain costs a few euros a year.
- Hosting. The server your website runs on. It can be with a completely different company from your domain name.
- Email. Your mailboxes. Often with your domain provider, or with Google, Microsoft or another email provider.
- DNS. The settings that decide where everything points to. You usually manage them with the company that holds your domain.
You can change them separately
Because they're separate things, you can also change them separately. You can switch hosting without moving your domain name, and leave your email exactly where it is.
The most important DNS records
The DNS of your domain consists of a short list of lines, called records. Each line has a type. For a normal website and email you only need a few:
- A record. Connects your domain name to an IP address: the number of the server your website runs on. There's also an AAAA record. It does the same, but for the newer, longer IP addresses.
- CNAME record. Points to another name instead of a number. Often used for www.yourcompany.nl, or to connect a service from another company.
- MX record. Tells the world where email for your domain should go. Without a correct MX record, no email arrives.
- TXT record. A line of text with extra information. For example to prove the domain is yours, for Google Search Console, or for the email settings SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
- NS record. Names the nameservers: the company where your DNS is managed. Change those, and your entire DNS moves in one go.
Why a change takes a while
Every record also has a TTL (time to live): how long computers along the way remember a setting. That's why it sometimes takes a while after a change before everyone sees the new situation. Usually it's a matter of minutes to a few hours.
Why your domain name should be in your own name
Whoever is registered as the holder of a domain name has the final say over it. If your web designer or an agency registers the domain in their name, you depend on them. If you want to switch, or they stop trading, you need their cooperation to get your own address back.
So check these three things:
- You or your company is registered as the holder, not your web designer.
- You have your own login for the account where your domain is held.
- The email address on that account is one you actually read. That's where renewals and warnings arrive.
How I handle this
With me, your domain is always in your name. You choose: keep it with your own provider and I set up the DNS once, or I take over its management. Then I register a new name or move your existing domain to my account with a registrar, still in your name.
That management is an add-on to Hosting or Care and costs €25 per domain per year, including renewals and DNS. Care includes 2 domain names. If you stop Hosting and Care, or want to leave for another reason, you get the transfer code and take the name with you.
What happens when your domain name expires?
If you don't pay the renewal, everything stops at once. Your website can't be reached and email to your address no longer arrives. Often you only notice when a client asks why you haven't replied.
After that, there's usually a period in which only you can get the domain back, sometimes at extra cost. For a .nl domain this is called quarantine, and it lasts 40 days. After that, anyone can register the name. Some companies buy up expired domain names, to sell them back or to use them for something else.
So switch on automatic renewal, with a payment method that doesn't expire. And keep your contact details with your domain provider up to date. If your domain stays with your own provider, renewing on time remains your responsibility, also when I build your website. If I manage your domain, I renew it for you.
How I set up your DNS
If your domain stays with your own provider, you give me access or make the changes yourself following my instructions. I set up the DNS once, so your site runs on your own domain. If I manage your domain, I do the same in my own account. Either way, this is how I go about it:
- First I check which records are already there, especially the ones for your email: MX, SPF and DKIM.
- Then I only change the records for your website, usually the A record and the CNAME record for www.
- Your email records stay as they are. So your existing email keeps working as it does.
- After the change I check that the site runs on your domain, with https, and that the email records are still correct.
Adding email or replacing an old site
If you also want a new business mailbox, I set up the records for it in the same go. You can read more in business email on your own domain. Replacing an old website? Then also read moving your website without losing SEO.
If someone else changes your DNS later and something breaks as a result, I fix it at my hourly rate of €95. That's also how it's set out in the terms.
Frequently asked questions
Does my domain name have to be with the same company as my website?
No. Your domain can be with one company and your website with another. The DNS settings connect the two.
How long does a DNS change take to work?
Usually anything from a few minutes to a few hours. Sometimes it takes longer, because computers along the way still remember the old setting for a while.
What does a domain name cost?
A .nl domain costs a few euros a year. Other extensions, such as .com or .io, can be more expensive. Also check the renewal price: it's sometimes higher than the first year.
Can I move my domain name to another provider?
Yes. For a .nl domain you request a transfer code (in Dutch: verhuistoken) from your current provider and give it to the new one. Do make sure all DNS settings move with it, otherwise your website and email will stop working for a while.
Your domain and DNS properly sorted
Your domain stays in your name. I set up the DNS with your own provider, or I take over its management. Your site runs and your email keeps working.