Why isn't my website updating after i made changes?

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: Why isn't my website updating after i made changes?. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

When you update your domain's DNS records—such as A, CNAME, MX, or TXT records—those changes do not take effect instantly across the entire internet. This delay is known as DNS propagation. Because internet service providers and recursive resolvers cache DNS records to improve loading speeds, different visitors may see different versions of your website depending on which server they query. This article explains how propagation works, how Time to Live (TTL) settings influence the wait time, and how you can verify that your records have updated correctly.

Understanding TTL and Propagation

The Time to Live (TTL) value tells recursive resolvers how long to cache a DNS record before checking for an update. If your TTL is set to 86400 seconds (24 hours), it may take up to a day for all visitors to see your changes. Lowering the TTL to 300 seconds (5 minutes) before making changes can significantly speed up the propagation process.

Updating Your DNS Records

1. Log in to your domain registrar or DNS hosting control panel.
2. Navigate to the DNS Management or Zone Editor section.
3. Locate the record you wish to change (e.g., an A record for your website or an MX record for email).
4. Edit the record value and save your changes.
5. If you lowered the TTL to speed up propagation, remember to return the TTL to a standard value once the update is complete.

Verifying DNS Updates

1. Visit a public DNS lookup tool such as Google Admin Toolbox Dig or MXToolbox.
2. Enter your domain name in the search field.
3. Select the specific record type you updated (e.g., A, CNAME, or TXT).
4. Compare the returned value with the new record you configured.
5. Check multiple geographic locations if the tool allows, as propagation can happen at different speeds worldwide.

Troubleshooting

Some visitors see the old website

This is normal during the propagation window. Different ISPs refresh their caches at different intervals. If you have verified the records via a public lookup tool and they are correct, you simply need to wait for the remaining caches to expire.

Changes are not appearing at all

• Ensure you saved the changes in your control panel and that the record was published.
• Check that you are editing the DNS zone for the correct domain.
• Clear your local DNS cache. On Windows, open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /flushdns. On macOS, open Terminal and run sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder.
• Clear your browser cache or try viewing the site in an incognito window.

Still Having Issues?