Services like Google Search Console, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, email marketing platforms and website builders often ask you to add a DNS record (usually a TXT, CNAME or MX record) to prove you own the domain or to connect it.
DNS records have to be added wherever your domain's DNS is hosted. That isn't always the same place you registered the domain or host your website, so the first step is to find out where your DNS lives.
Step 1: Check your nameservers
Your domain's nameservers decide who manages its DNS.
- If your domain is registered with us, open it from Domains → My Domains (https://www.hooplahosting.co.nz/client/clientarea.php?action=domains) and click Nameservers in the Manage menu.
- If it's registered elsewhere, you can look it up with a public WHOIS or DNS lookup tool, or check with your registrar.
Step 2: Add the record in the right place
- Using Hoopla Hosting nameservers: add the record yourself in cPanel under Zone Editor, or send us the record and we'll add it for you. See Which nameservers do I use?
- DNS Hosting / cPanel hosting is required to host DNS records. If you do not have web hosting with us, you can purchase DNS Hosting, or Web Hosting - Enabling you to then host DNS records. Cloudflare also offers free DNS hosting.
- Using Cloudflare: add the record in your Cloudflare dashboard under DNS. Changes made in cPanel won't take effect.
- Using another provider (for example your registrar, Wix, Squarespace or Shopify): add the record in that provider's DNS settings. We can't change records on DNS we don't manage.
If you'd like us to manage your DNS, you can change your nameservers to ours. Before switching, make sure all your existing records (website, email, verification records) are recreated in cPanel, or your website or email may stop working.
Step 3: If you're asking us to add the record
Please include the full record in your ticket, copied exactly from the service asking for it:
- Record type (for example TXT)
- Host / name (for example
@or_dmarc) - Value (for Google Search Console this looks like
google-site-verification=...)
Without the value we can't add the record. After it's added, allow some time for the change to take effect before clicking Verify. Changes are usually visible within an hour but can take longer.
My website works without www but not with www (or the other way round)
The www version of your domain is its own DNS record and needs to point to the same place as your main domain. If your website is hosted with us, we can check this for you. If your website is hosted with another provider, the www record and that provider's settings need to be set up where your DNS and website are hosted.
