Bluehost DNS setup
If your domain is registered at Bluehost, connecting it to Redirect Supply means replacing the records that point it to Bluehost hosting with a few of your own. Your domain stays at Bluehost, and your registration and email don’t change. It takes about five minutes, plus a wait of anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours while the changes spread.
Before you start
You need two things ready before you open Bluehost.
Add the domain in Redirect Supply
Add your domain in Redirect Supply first. Its settings page shows the records you’ll need, including a TXT value that’s unique to your domain. Keep that page open in another tab. This guide covers a root domain like brand.com. If you’re connecting a subdomain like go.brand.com, the DNS setup guide explains the differences.
Check your nameservers
Bluehost’s DNS records only count when your domain uses Bluehost nameservers. If your domain points to Cloudflare or another provider, add the records there instead. The Cloudflare DNS setup guide covers the most common case.
Open DNS in the Bluehost Portal
All the changes in this guide happen in one tab.
Find the DNS tab
Sign in to the Bluehost Portal and select Domains in the left menu. Choose your domain if you have several, then open the DNS tab. You’ll land in Manage Advanced DNS Records, with a + Add record button on the right.
Records you’ll see there
Domains connected to Bluehost hosting point to the hosting server through an A record on @, usually with a record for www as well. Those use the names Redirect Supply needs. Not sure what else counts? The conflict table on your domain’s page in Redirect Supply lists every record that blocks the setup.
Clear the way
Before changing anything, back up what’s there and remove what’s in the way.
Export the zone first
Open the Actions menu on the DNS tab and choose Export DNS zone. It downloads a text file of every current record, so you can always go back if something goes wrong.
Remove old A and www records
Select the vertical ellipsis next to each A record on @ and any record on www, choose Delete, and confirm. Remove any AAAA record on @ too, or visitors on IPv6 will keep reaching the hosting server. If you set up redirects for this domain in your Bluehost hosting, they stop applying once the records point away, so there’s nothing extra to switch off.
Leave email records alone
MX records and email TXT records like SPF or DKIM keep your email working. They don’t affect redirects, so leave them exactly as they are. Bluehost warns that removing records tied to a service, like email, interrupts that service right away.
Add the Redirect Supply records
You’ll add four records with + Add record, choosing Single for each. In the host field, enter @ for the root domain or just the prefix. Keep the default TTL.
Name | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|
www | CNAME | proxy.redirect.supply |
@ | A | 188.114.96.9 |
@ | A | 188.114.97.9 |
_cf-custom-hostname | TXT | Value from your domain’s settings page |
Add two A records for the root domain
Select + Add record, choose Single, and pick A. Enter @ as the host and 188.114.96.9 as the value, then select Add. Add a second A record for @ with the value 188.114.97.9.
Add the www CNAME
Add a CNAME record with the host www pointing to proxy.redirect.supply.
Add the TXT record
Add a TXT record with the host _cf-custom-hostname and paste the value from your domain’s settings page in Redirect Supply. On some less common domain endings, Redirect Supply also asks for an _acme-challenge TXT record. Add it the same way if you see it.
Check the list
Each record is saved when you select Add. Look over the list to make sure all four are there and nothing else is left on @ or www.
Check the status in Redirect Supply
Once the records are in, you’re done in Bluehost.
Check the conflict table
You don’t have to wait to find out if something’s wrong. Your domain’s page in Redirect Supply shows a conflict table with the records currently on your domain. Anything that blocks the setup, like an old hosting A record or a leftover www record, is flagged there along with what to do about it. Fix those first, and the rest is just waiting.
How long it takes
Bluehost says record changes may take a few minutes but can take up to 8 hours. If you just moved the domain to Bluehost’s nameservers, allow 24–48 hours.
When the domain goes Active
Redirect Supply checks your records automatically. When it finds them, the domain switches to Active and HTTPS is issued on its own, with no extra steps from you. See Domain statuses for what each status means along the way.
Bluehost-specific issues
Most problems on Bluehost come from records that still point to the hosting server.
The old website still loads
An A or AAAA record on @, or a www record, still points to Bluehost hosting. Delete it and check again in a private window after a while.
You also manage DNS in cPanel
Bluehost hosting plans include a Zone Editor in cPanel that edits the same records. Use one place, not both, so changes don’t overwrite each other.
Records have no effect
Your domain uses nameservers outside Bluehost. Add the records with the provider your nameservers point to.
The domain is stuck on Pending
Open the conflict table on your domain’s page in Redirect Supply. It shows which record is blocking the setup, usually an old hosting record or an old www record. Remove what it flags and give Bluehost a few hours. Record conflicts covers the common cases.