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HOSTING GUIDE
Domain, DNS and hosting: three services worth keeping separate
Your website address, DNS settings and web space often appear on one invoice. They are still three different things. Knowing which one has failed makes it easier to resolve an outage or move to another provider.
Registering a domain gives you the right to use its name for the paid registration period, subject to the registration terms. The domain itself contains no pages, images or email messages. Check who is listed as the holder, who can access the registrar account and when the registration renews. You should retain control of that access even if an outside contractor manages the website.
DNS works like a routing table
DNS records tell systems where requests for your domain should go. A and AAAA records usually direct visitors to a server address; an MX record determines where incoming mail is delivered. Moving your website hosting therefore does not necessarily mean changing your domain registrar. You can keep the domain with the same company and change only the routing that is needed. Likewise, you can transfer the registration without moving the website content.
Hosting stores and runs the application
Hosting provides the environment where your files, database and possibly other services run. Plans differ in how much management the provider does for you. On one service you configure the website through a control panel; on another you also take responsibility for the operating system and its updates.
Before making a change, draw a simple map: who manages the registration, where DNS runs, where the website lives and where the mailboxes are hosted. Then change only the part you need. Before editing DNS, save the current records, including mail records. Accidentally replacing them can interrupt email even when the new website works.
Practical question: Can you sign in to the registrar yourself and export the DNS settings today? If not, arrange access before you need to move the website.