Hosting, MX, WordPress, Bluehost – CONFUSED!
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Hi folks
So, we have a website that I understood was hosted by Bluehost – they’re the guys we pay every year. Through that, we use WordPress to edit the site, but we don’t seem to be registered with WordPress itself.I’m trying to set up GSuite, which involves adding MX records. I did this via Bluehost, using the Zoneedit function to MX records to the DNS zone. This didn’t work. I contacted Bluehost and they said it’s because WordPress host our site.
I’m not an expert on this stuff and I’m very confused. Can anyone help me please? I’m stuck!
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Hi! If it helps:
– “WordPress” is software, not a company
– A host is the company that has servers (a certain type of computer) that run your copy of WordPress
– WordPress.COM is a type of host. So is Bluehost. And (sorry this part is confusing) you can use the free WordPress software at either host — or at other hosts too. WordPress.com specializes in hosting the WordPress software, and provides support for it and what not.
Or if you like analogies: pretend WordPress is a recipe, and your host is a kitchen. WordPress.com would be like a kitchen in a restaurant where staff takes care of the technical things for you.
Does that help? There’s more information here:
Regarding email and your domain name:
– Your domain name is the name of your site. It can point to a host, point to an email server, etc. It’s what people type to visit your site.
– To use Gmail, your domain needs certain settings, including MX entries. Usually your host will handle those settings.
So. Given all that, if you will tell me what your domain is (that’s the
www.something.com), I can check to see if it is hosted here, or at Bluehost, and help you find the best path for help. -
Hi there, thanks so much for the reply Supernovia – that’s very helpful. Ok, here’s my scenario, based on what I’m slowly starting to understand:
We pay Bluehost for web hosting.
When I update DNS records there, nothing happens because the site is hosted at WordPress.com – our nameservers are ns1.wordpress.com, ns2.wordpress.com, ns3.wordpress.comWordpress.com say I can’t edit the MX records because Godaddy hosts our site.
Godaddy say I can edit MX records, but only if I change the nameservers back to the default Godaddy ones.
I change the nameservers to the default Godaddy ones and my gmail starts working as hoped.
BUT
The website no longer works. Presumably because our site, built with WordPress, is not hosted at Godaddy.I change the nameservers back to the WordPress ones and the website goes live but the gmail stops working.
So, my issue is:
How do I change my MX records so that my gmail works, while still keeping wdec.org.uk live?Sorry for excessive detail, but I’m trying to be clear about what I’m facing, and I don’t know if it’s Bluehost, Godaddy or here where I can find help!
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If you’re using Gmail with that domain, just follow this guide to connect it: https://wordpress.com/support/add-email/add-email-through-g-suite/
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Thanks for the link macmanx
Unfortunately, as Godaddy (where we originally purchased the domain) seems to be our actual host, and we then point to wordpress nameservers, I have no access to my domain via wordpress.com. I have this account that I’m posting from but the domain does not show on it.
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Hi there –
When looking at the domain I can see that the name servers are pointed to WordPress.com. That means that we are your hosting provider.
You should find the domain listed on My Sites in upper left hand corner of your screen after signing in at WordPress.com.
Please let me know what you see under that tab. Thanks!
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Hi there –
When looking at the domain I can see that the name servers are pointed to WordPress.com. That means that we are your hosting provider.
You should find the domain listed on My Sites in upper left hand corner of your screen after signing in at WordPress.com.
Please let me know what you see under that tab. Thanks!
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Hi there. When I log in, it says ‘My Site’ (singular) at the top, and clicking on that takes me to a menu for wdec2011.wordpress.com – there’s no sign of wdec.org.uk
Is wdec.org.uk linked to a different user account?
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https://wdec.org.uk/ is not a WordPress.com site, and not linked to this or any other WordPress.com account.
That site is hosted by Bluehost.com, and built using the open source version of WordPress made by the community on WordPress.org. To make changes to that site you need to log into the admin account that’s specific to that site – you should have received login details for that admin account from Bluehost, via email, when you first set the site up with them.
If you want to manage that site via your WordPress.com account, you can. In that case, log into the admin account for the site first, and install the Jetpack plugin. When you activate that plugin it will then take you through the process to connect it to a WordPress.com username account, which will cause that site to be listed under My Sites in addition to your WordPress.com site, wdec2011.wordpress.com
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Thanks for this. I don’t have a paid account with WordPress which is what seems to be hindering me in terms of installing the plugin or administering the site?
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Have you tried logged out of this WordPress.com account and logging in to Bluehost where you’ll find your site at https://wdec.org.uk/wp-login.php
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Thanks magic robot, I’ve done that now. installed Jetpack and now it shows both domains under ‘My sites’.
I’ve been looking but can’t see how to alter DNS records from here?
Many thanks to all those helping me – I feel pretty useless sorry!
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Yes, I’ve tried that, but as I said in earlier post, Godaddy won’t let me edit my DNS settings unless I use their default nameservers, but I can’t because I need to use WordPress! This is why I feel like I’m stuck!
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I’m confused now. I could have sworn when I looked at a Whois the other day BlueHost was listed. Looking at the Whois info today it says:
wdec.org.uk
Registrar: GoDaddy.com,
Name servers:
ns1.wordpress.com
ns2.wordpress.com
At the top of your thread:I contacted Bluehost and they said it’s because WordPress host our site.
So you mention BlueHost. Then you said later:
I don’t have a paid account with WordPress which is what seems to be hindering me in terms of installing the plugin or administering the site?
So why are the nameservers pointing to WordPress.com if you don’t have a paid plan here?
Godaddy won’t let me edit my DNS settings unless I use their default nameservers, but I can’t because I need to use WordPress!
Perhaps you should be using their nameservers.
I’ve tagged this thread again to see if staff can resolve your issues. -
So why are the nameservers pointing to WordPress.com if you don’t have a paid plan here?
Perhaps you should be using [Godaddy’s] nameservers.Good question! I didn’t set this up, and the guy who did is no longer around! All I know is that when I switched the nameservers back to Godaddy, the wdec.org.uk domain was unreachable. This suggests to me that our site template – using wordpress software – is stored at wordpress somehow?
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This suggests to me that our site template – using wordpress software – is stored at wordpress somehow?
Who exactly do you pay to host your site? Not here at WordPress.com? You said at the beginning you’re paying BlueHost to host your site on their servers 9but paying GoDaddy just for the domain perhaps) and perhaps BlueHost is where the nameservers should be pointing?
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Who exactly do you pay to host your site?
We only pay Bluehost, we don’t pay wordpress or godaddy at all.
Looking at Bluehost, there’s an option to transfer the domain over to them, is this what I’d need to do?
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Your name servers are pointed to us, and the domain is then in turn pointed from us to Bluehost using an A record. But you don’t have an active domain mapping upgrade with us, so there’s no way to modify your domain’s DNS using our tools.
To be honest, I’m not even sure how your domain is still working at all – it should have stopped working the moment the old domain mapping upgrade that used to connect the domain here was removed in 2018. My best guess is that the DNS zone on our end was never removed, which means we’re still technically hosting your DNS even though your domain no longer has any connection to us at all.
As your site is hosted with Bluehost, the simplest solution is to change your domain’s name servers to theirs. That way they control your DNS, and you’ll be able to add any DNS records you need via your control panel with them.
we don’t pay wordpress or godaddy at all.
GoDaddy is the domain registrar for your domain, so unless the person who originally bought the domain renewed it for several years in advance, you’re paying an annual fee to GoDaddy to renew that domain.
But you are correct that you’re not paying us, WordPress.com, for anything, as you haven’t owned any upgrades with us since 2018.
Looking at Bluehost, there’s an option to transfer the domain over to them, is this what I’d need to do?
That is definitely another option. If you transfer your domain from GoDaddy to Bluehost, your domain and site will be with the same provider, which would make managing things going forward much simpler.
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As your site is hosted with Bluehost, the simplest solution is to change your domain’s name servers to theirs.
Yes! This worked! Thanks so much, feel a bit daft that I didn’t try this earlier.
I probably will transfer the domain over just for simplicity.
Incidentally, we haven’t paid Godaddy anything since switching to Bluehost in 2018 either, and there’s no record of an advance payment. Odd.
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