Add a DNS record at GoDaddy

To add a DNS record at GoDaddy, sign in to your GoDaddy account, select your domain, select DNS, and select Add New Record. This works when your domain uses GoDaddy nameservers. GoDaddy says most DNS changes take effect within an hour but could take up to 48 hours to update globally.

Checked against GoDaddy’s help pages on November 12, 2026.

Before you start at GoDaddy

You need the record from the company that runs the tool you are connecting, such as a newsletter, a booking tool or a client portal. It gives you three things: a type (CNAME, TXT or A), a name, and a value. Keep them open in another tab.

New to this? The Learn guide Add a record to your domain explains the idea in plain language. For what Surmado does and does not handle, see Your domain and Surmado Sites.

Steps to add a record at GoDaddy

1. Sign in to your GoDaddy Domain Portfolio.
2. Select your domain. This opens the Domain Settings page.
3. Select DNS to view your DNS records.
4. Select Add New Record, then select the record type (CNAME, TXT or A) from the Type menu.
5. Enter the three fields below.
6. Select Save. If you added several records at once, select Save All Records.

If your domain has Domain Protection, GoDaddy asks for extra identity verification. With 2-step verification on for at least 24 hours, enter the code sent by SMS or the code from your authenticator app. Otherwise, enter the one-time password GoDaddy sends to the email address on your GoDaddy account.

The three GoDaddy fields: Name, Value, TTL

GoDaddy labels the fields Name, Value and TTL (Time to Live).

• Name: the hostname or prefix of the record, without the domain name.
• Value: what the record points to. For a CNAME, it is the destination. For a TXT record, it is the text string, which GoDaddy says is usually provided by your SSL, hosting or email provider. For an A record, it is the IP address.
• TTL (Time to Live): how long the server caches information before refreshing. The default setting is 1 hour.

The Name rule at GoDaddy

Enter the Name without your domain name. If the tool company gives you portal.yourbusiness.com, enter portal. GoDaddy’s example for a CNAME is a Name such as blog or shop.

GoDaddy’s rules for Name:

• Periods (.) are allowed, but not as the first or last character.
• Consecutive periods are not allowed.
• It cannot begin or end with a hyphen (-).
• 255 characters maximum.
• For a CNAME, it cannot be the @ symbol, and it cannot already be in use by another record.
• For a TXT or A record, enter @ to put the record on your root domain, or enter a prefix.

Which GoDaddy record type to pick

Use the type the tool company gave you. GoDaddy describes them this way:

• CNAME: connects a prefix such as blog or shop to a different domain name. To connect a prefix to an IP address, GoDaddy says to add a subdomain instead.
• A record: connects a name to an IP address.
• TXT record: a string of text, commonly used to verify domain ownership, complete SSL verification, and create email sender policies. A TXT Value allows a maximum of 1024 characters, and only ASCII characters.

Check your new GoDaddy record

After you select Save, select DNS on your domain’s page to view your DNS records again. To check that the record is live on the internet, use the Learn guide Did my record work?.

To look the record up, type it into Surmado’s free DNS record checker. It says whether the record is saved and whether the rest of the internet can see it yet.

How long a GoDaddy DNS change takes

GoDaddy says: “Most DNS changes take effect within an hour but could take up to 48 hours to update globally.”

What is particular to GoDaddy

• GoDaddy’s page says domains using GoDaddy nameservers can add, edit or delete DNS records in your GoDaddy account.
• If your domain is not registered with GoDaddy and does not use GoDaddy nameservers, GoDaddy says its DNS settings are managed at a different DNS or hosting provider, not GoDaddy.
• Select Add More Records to add several records at once. Select Delete to remove records you have not saved yet.

Questions about your Surmado site

For anything about your Surmado site, or a domain Surmado got for you, see Your domain and Surmado Sites. Scout is the best place to start, and you can always contact us.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add a CNAME record at GoDaddy?

Sign in to your GoDaddy Domain Portfolio, select your domain, select DNS, select Add New Record, and choose CNAME from the Type menu. Enter Name without your domain, such as portal, enter the Value the tool company gave you, and select Save.

What do I put in the Name field at GoDaddy?

The name without your domain. For portal.yourbusiness.com, enter portal. For a TXT record on your root domain, GoDaddy says to enter @. A CNAME Name cannot be @.

How long does a GoDaddy DNS change take?

GoDaddy says most changes take effect within an hour but could take up to 48 hours to update globally.

How do I add a TXT record at GoDaddy?

Follow the same steps and choose TXT from the Type menu. Enter @ or a prefix as the Name, and paste the text string from the tool company as the Value.

Can I see my records after I save?

Yes. Select DNS on your domain’s Domain Settings page to view your DNS records.

Sources

• Add a CNAME record, GoDaddy
• Add a TXT record, GoDaddy
• Add an A record, GoDaddy
• Manage DNS records, GoDaddy

Checked against GoDaddy’s help pages on November 12, 2026.