Connecting your domain to Skyline Cloud is the step that links your business email and your website to the services you set up in the portal. This guide explains, in plain terms, what DNS is and the two supported ways to point your domain at Skyline so you can choose the path that fits your situation.
What DNS is (in plain terms)
DNS (the Domain Name System) is the internet's address book. When someone sends email to your domain or visits your website, their device asks DNS "where does this domain's mail/website live?" DNS answers with records that point to the right servers.
The records that matter most for Skyline are:
- MX records — say which server receives your email.
- A records — point a hostname (like your website) to a server's IP address.
- TXT records — hold verification and security values such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
Every domain's DNS is controlled by a set of name servers. Whoever runs those name servers decides what all the records say. That single fact is what splits the two methods below.
The two ways to connect your domain
Path A — Full delegation to Skyline name servers
You change your domain's name servers (at your registrar) to Skyline's. From that point on, Skyline hosts all of your DNS, and the portal can publish every record for you with one click.
- Skyline name servers:
ns1.alskyline.comns2.alskyline.com
- A third name server (ns3) is reserved and not yet live, so you only need ns1 and ns2.
Best for: most customers, and anyone who wants the simplest setup. You let Skyline manage everything, and email + hosting records appear automatically.
Path B — Keep DNS where it is and add records manually
You leave your domain's name servers exactly as they are (at your current DNS provider or registrar) and simply add the individual records Skyline shows you — MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC for email, and an A record for hosting.
Best for: customers who must keep DNS at their existing provider — for example because another team manages it, or because other services on the domain depend on DNS staying put.
How to choose
| Question | Choose Path A (delegation) | Choose Path B (manual) |
|---|---|---|
| Want the simplest, one-click setup? | Yes | — |
| Happy for Skyline to manage all DNS? | Yes | — |
| Must keep DNS at your current provider? | — | Yes |
| Other team or service already runs your DNS? | — | Yes |
If you are unsure, Path A is the recommended default — it removes the most room for manual error.
High-level steps — Path A (delegation)
- Sign in to your portal at cloud.alskyline.com and add your domain.
- Go to your domain registrar — the company where you bought the domain — and open its name server / DNS settings.
- Replace the existing name servers with:
ns1.alskyline.comns2.alskyline.com
- Save the change at the registrar.
- Wait for propagation, which can take up to 24–48 hours.
- Once delegation is confirmed, use the portal's one-click email setup to publish your MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records automatically. Hosting records can be published the same way.
Tip: Changing name servers moves all of your domain's DNS to Skyline. If you currently have other records (for example, an existing website or third-party services), make a note of them first so they can be recreated in the portal.
High-level steps — Path B (manual records)
- Sign in to cloud.alskyline.com and add your domain.
- The portal will display the exact records you need, with their names and values.
- Log in to your current DNS provider and add those records by hand:
- For email: an MX record, plus TXT records for SPF, DKIM (selector
skyline), and DMARC. - For web hosting: point your site's A record to the hosting address shown for your account in the Skyline Cloud portal (displayed when you add your domain).
- For email: an MX record, plus TXT records for SPF, DKIM (selector
- Save the records at your provider.
- Allow time for propagation (typically up to a few hours, sometimes longer).
Because your name servers stay where they are, the portal cannot publish records for you on this path — you add each value exactly as shown.
How the portal verifies and shows status
The portal does the checking for you, so you do not have to dig through command-line tools:
- Delegation (Path A): the portal automatically verifies that your domain's name servers now point to
ns1.alskyline.comandns2.alskyline.com. Once it sees the change, the one-click record publishing becomes available. - Records (both paths): the portal probes your live DNS and shows the status of each required record (for example, MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and your hosting A record) so you can see at a glance what is in place and what is still pending.
Because DNS changes take time to spread across the internet, a record you just added may show as pending for a while before it verifies — this is normal. Re-check after propagation has had time to complete.
Next steps
Once your domain is connected, continue with the dedicated articles:
- Setting up Skyline name servers and confirming delegation.
- Publishing your mail records (MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) to route email to Skyline.
These cover the exact record names and values for each service in detail.
Need help?
If your delegation or records are not verifying after propagation has had time to complete, open a support request from the Support section inside your portal at cloud.alskyline.com and our team will help you get connected.
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