When you connect a domain, C Building first looks at where the domain's DNS is, that is, its nameservers. You add the records wherever the DNS is, which isn't necessarily where you bought the domain. For example, a domain bought at IONOS with its DNS on Cloudflare gets its records at Cloudflare; a domain bought elsewhere with its DNS on IONOS gets them at IONOS.
The records to add (type, name, value) are the ones listed on the card when you connect the domain, so this guide gives no fixed values. Use the record types exactly as the card shows them; if a name already has an old record, edit or delete it first, then add what the card lists.
When this guide applies
Only when the domain's nameservers are "ns plus a number" on ui-dns.com, ui-dns.de, ui-dns.org or ui-dns.biz, such as ns1045.ui-dns.com (IONOS's DNS). If they belong to another company, add the records there.
Adding the records at IONOS
- Sign in to IONOS and open "Domains & SSL".
- Open the menu under "Actions" next to your domain and select "DNS".
- With the trash can icon, delete the old A and AAAA records of the hosts on the card (for example the domain itself, or www when the card has "www"). Leave records for other hosts as they are.
- Select "Add record" for each record on the card: choose its type as the card shows, enter the card's name in "Host name" (such as "@" or "www") and the value in "Points to", then select "Save".
- Repeat step 4 for every record on the card.
Things to know
- Enter only the name in "Host name", never the full domain. Entering the full domain (for example example.com) creates a record for example.com.example.com.
- Keep only one A record on each host on the card (with several, usually only the first one is used), and delete or edit the AAAA records on those hosts.
- IONOS help pages show the menu under "Actions" sometimes as a gear icon and sometimes as three dots; it is the same menu.
How long it takes
Changes are active at IONOS right away and take up to 1 hour to work everywhere.
These steps follow IONOS's help center: changing a domain's A/AAAA record, configuring a CNAME record for a subdomain; the nameserver names are listed in default DNS settings for IONOS domains.
Once the records are in, C Building checks them automatically. There's no need to come back and let us know.
Want C Building to manage your DNS? Change the nameservers
If you'd rather not add records yourself, C Building can manage the domain's DNS instead: choose that on the card when you connect the domain, then change the domain's nameservers to ns1.cbuilding.net, ns2.cbuilding.net, ns3.cbuilding.net and ns4.cbuilding.net. After that there are no records to add; the website connects by itself. Only do this if you choose to.
Nameservers are changed where the domain is registered. The steps below are for a domain registered at IONOS; if it is registered somewhere else, change them there.
Move your e-mail records first: Records kept at IONOS (e-mail records included) stop working once the new name servers are active. If the domain receives e-mail, read Before changing nameservers: e-mail records and DNSSEC first.
- Sign in to IONOS and open "Domains & SSL".
- Select the gear icon under "Actions" next to your domain and choose "Name Server".
- Select "Use Custom Name Servers".
- Enter ns1.cbuilding.net, ns2.cbuilding.net, ns3.cbuilding.net and ns4.cbuilding.net in "Name Server 1" to "Name Server 4".
- Select "Save".
- This works for main domains only, not subdomains. IONOS takes two to four name servers.
- To go back to IONOS's own name servers, use "Reset Settings" on the same page.
- It can take up to 48 hours.
These steps follow IONOS's help center: using your own name servers for a domain.