Website and email can remain with different providers when A, CNAME and MX records are planned independently.
Applies to: Nameservers and DNS records
DNS tells internet services where to find a website, mail server or other service. Changes can be technically correct yet appear inconsistent for a time because recursive resolvers cache earlier answers until their TTL expires.
Before you start
- Obtain website destination records and complete email-provider DNS records.
- Export the current zone before changing nameservers.
Step-by-step
- Decide which DNS provider will remain authoritative; avoid changing nameservers merely to point one service elsewhere when individual records are sufficient.
- Point the root and www website hostnames to the web provider using the supported A, AAAA or CNAME records.
- Keep or add the email provider's MX records and all related SPF, DKIM, DMARC, autodiscover and verification values.
- Do not point mail.example.com to the web server unless it actually provides the mailbox service and presents a valid certificate for that name.
- Test website HTTPS, inbound mail, authenticated outbound mail and password reset messages separately.
- Document which company controls each layer so future staff do not replace one provider's records with another provider's default zone.
Confirm the result
- The website resolves to its host while inbound and outbound email continue through the intended email provider.
Common problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Changing nameservers removed email. | The new DNS zone lacked the previous mail records. | Recreate the full mail record set at the authoritative provider and keep old mailboxes active during recovery. |
| Website validation asks to replace MX. | The instructions may be for an optional email product rather than the website connection. | Apply only the records needed for the purchased service. |
When to contact Tudor Internet
Open a ticket through the Customer Portal when the checks above do not resolve the issue, when an action is unavailable for your service, or when continuing could risk data loss or service interruption. Include the following so the request can be investigated efficiently:
- The full domain name
- The current and intended registrar or nameservers
- Any registry or transfer error shown
- Whether website or email service is currently live
Do not send passwords, private keys, full payment-card details, one-time authentication codes or unredacted identity documents in an ordinary support reply.
Related articles
- Create and troubleshoot A and AAAA records
- Create and troubleshoot a CNAME record
- Create and troubleshoot MX records
- Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC records
- Plan a DNS change with minimal downtime
Last reviewed: 2026-07-18.
