SiteJet's Publish button uploads the files for your site, but it can't make visitors find them. That's the job of DNS — specifically, the nameservers and A records on your domain. This article explains what publishing does, what it doesn't, and how DNS fits in.
What "Publish" actually does
When you click Publish in the SiteJet editor:
- SiteJet renders your design to static HTML, CSS, JS, and images.
- Those files are uploaded to your hosting account, into your domain's document root (usually
public_html/). - Apache (and our nginx caching layer) starts serving them on your CanSpace server.
That's it. After Publish, anyone who reaches your CanSpace server with the right Host header sees your site — but visitors only reach the right server if DNS sends them there.
What DNS has to do for visitors to see your site
When someone types your domain into a browser, the browser asks the DNS system "where is this domain?" and gets back an IP address. For your SiteJet site to load, that IP has to be your CanSpace hosting server.
There are two scenarios:
Scenario A: domain registered with CanSpace + hosting with CanSpace
This is the simplest case. We set the nameservers to the correct pair for your hosting server when we provision your account, and DNS resolves to the right IP automatically. No further action needed — Publish just works.
Scenario B: domain registered elsewhere, hosting with CanSpace
If your domain is at GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc., you need to either:
- Update the nameservers at the registrar to point to CanSpace (e.g.
ns27.canspace.ca+ns28.canspace.ca— your specific pair is in your New Account Information email). This is the recommended approach: cPanel manages your DNS zone, and email DNS records (DKIM/SPF) get set up automatically. - OR keep the nameservers at the external registrar and create A records pointing your domain to your CanSpace server's IP. More fiddly, but works.
Either way, until DNS is updated, visitors will keep landing on whatever was there before — and they'll never see your SiteJet site.
The DNS records you need
If you're hosting your SiteJet site at yourdomain.com:
| Record | Name | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root domain | @ (or blank) | A | Your CanSpace server IP |
| www subdomain | www | A or CNAME | Server IP, or yourdomain.com. |
If you used the recommended approach and pointed nameservers at CanSpace, both records are already created on our end — you don't need to set them yourself.
How long does DNS take to propagate?
Typically a few minutes to a few hours. In rare cases (when you've changed nameservers and old TTLs are very long), it can take 24-48 hours globally. During that window, some visitors hit the new IP and see your SiteJet site, others hit the old IP and see whatever was there before.
Check with whatsmydns.net — it queries DNS resolvers around the world simultaneously and shows you which ones already see the new IP.
Common confusions
"I clicked Publish but my domain still shows the old site"
Almost always one of:
- DNS hasn't been updated yet — your nameservers still point at the old host.
- DNS has been updated but is still propagating.
- Your browser is showing a cached copy — try a hard refresh, incognito window, or your phone on mobile data.
See SiteJet publishing troubleshooting for the full list.
"What if I want to preview my site before changing DNS?"
Use the hosts file trick — see Preview your site before updating DNS. You add a one-line override on your computer that maps your domain to the CanSpace IP, just for you. Visitors continue seeing the old site; you see the new one.
"Do I need anything besides A records?"
Not for the website itself. But if you want email at the domain too, you'll need MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records — all of which are set up automatically when you point your nameservers at CanSpace. If you're keeping DNS elsewhere, you'll need to recreate those manually. See Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
If you're moving from another host
The migration sequence we recommend:
- Build your SiteJet site on CanSpace and click Publish — it's now live on your CanSpace server, just not visible at your domain yet.
- Use the hosts file preview to verify it looks right.
- Update nameservers at your registrar. Within a few hours, visitors start seeing the new site.
- Cancel hosting at the old provider once everything is confirmed working.
This way there's no downtime — old site keeps running until DNS flips, then visitors land on the new one.
Related articles
- Launch the SiteJet website builder
- SiteJet publishing troubleshooting
- Change your nameservers
- Preview your site before updating DNS
Need help with the DNS side of your SiteJet site? Open a support ticket
