How to troubleshoot DNS issues

When a website or email stops working after a DNS change, the cause is usually one of a few common DNS issues. This guide walks through how to check your setup in the JetHost DNS Manager and fix the most frequent problems.

Give it time: propagation

Most DNS changes are not instant. After you save a record or change nameservers, allow up to 24–48 hours for the update to reach servers worldwide. During this window your site may load the old or the new version depending on your location and cached lookups.

Check your nameservers first

DNS records only work if your domain actually uses JetHost DNS. Open the DNS Manager → Nameservers tab and confirm the nameservers point where you expect. If you see a Connect to hosting button and only a couple of records on the Records tab, your domain is probably still delegated elsewhere. See Where to find JetHost nameservers.

Common issues and fixes

• Unsaved changes. If the banner still says “You have N unsaved change(s)”, your edits are not live yet – click Save changes.
• Typo in a value. A wrong IP, an extra space, or a missing dot in a hostname will break the record. Re‑check the Record value against what your provider gave you.
• Wrong name. Use @ for the root domain and a bare label (like www or shop) for subdomains – do not type the full domain in the Name field.
• CNAME on the root. The apex (@) cannot be a CNAME. Use an A record for the root and CNAME only for subdomains.
• Duplicate SPF or DMARC. Keep only one SPF and one DMARC record per domain. See How to set up email DNS records.
• Editing locked records. SOA and NS records are managed by JetHost and cannot be changed.

Clear your local cache

Your device and browser also cache DNS. If a change looks live for others but not for you, clear your browser cache, try a private window, or flush your operating system’s DNS cache and reconnect. Testing on mobile data (a different network) is a quick way to see if the change has propagated.

Verify what the world sees

Free online DNS lookup tools let you check the current public value of any record from multiple locations. Compare what they show against what you entered in the DNS Manager – if they match but your site still fails, the issue is likely on the hosting or application side rather than DNS.

Need more help?

If your DNS looks correct but the problem continues past 48 hours, open a ticket through Client Area → Support Tickets. Include your domain, the record you changed, and what you expected to happen, and our team will investigate.