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Domain guides
Plain-English guides to domain names in South Africa: choosing a name and extension, DNS and nameservers, connecting a domain to hosting, transfers and renewals.
- Guide 1What is a domain name?A domain name is your address on the internet, like yourbusiness.co.za. What it is made of, how it works, what it costs in South Africa and how to get one.
- Guide 2How to choose a domain nameShort, easy to spell and matching your brand: practical rules for choosing a domain name in South Africa, mistakes to avoid and what to do if it is taken.
- Guide 3Domain extensions: which one to pickWhat domain extensions (TLDs) are, the South African extensions, .co.za vs .africa vs .com, and how to choose the right one for your business.
- Guide 4What is DNS?DNS turns domain names into server addresses. How it works, the common DNS records (A, CNAME, MX, TXT) and when you need to change them.
- Guide 5Domain vs hosting: what is the difference?The domain is your address; hosting is where your website and email live. How they work together, whether you need both and what each costs in South Africa.
- Guide 6What is a subdomain?A subdomain is an extra part in front of your domain, like shop.yourbusiness.co.za. What subdomains are used for and how to create one in cPanel for free.
- Guide 7What is a URL?A URL is the full address of a page on the internet. The parts of a URL (https, domain, path, query) explained, and how to keep your URLs clean for SEO.
- Guide 8What are nameservers?Nameservers tell the internet where your domain's DNS records are kept. What they are, which ones to use with Hostnali hosting and how to change them.
- Guide 9DNS propagation explainedWhy your new website or email settings don't show up straight away after a DNS change, how long propagation takes, and how to check and speed it up.
- Guide 10How to point a domain to hostingConnect your domain to your Hostnali hosting by changing nameservers or adding an A record, with steps for domains registered at Hostnali or elsewhere.
- Guide 11What is an EPP code?An EPP code is the password that authorises a domain transfer between registrars. How to get it, how to use it and how .co.za transfers differ from .com.
- Guide 12What is WHOIS?WHOIS shows who registered a domain, when it expires and which registrar holds it. What a lookup shows, privacy, and keeping your own details current.
- Guide 13What is a domain registrar?A registrar is the company you register a domain through. How registrars, registries and resellers differ, and how to choose a registrar in South Africa.
- Guide 14Domain renewal and expiryWhat happens when a domain expires, the grace and redemption periods, how to renew a domain and how auto-renewal keeps your website and email online.
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