Domains, hosting and email: what is the difference?
Your domain is your business’s web address. Hosting runs the website people see there. Email is the service that receives and sends messages for your business addresses. One supplier may sell all three, but they are separate responsibilities. Buying a domain alone does not create a website or a working inbox.
Before you start
- Find your latest domain, website and email invoices without sharing account passwords.
- Write down the website address and the business email addresses you actively use.
What to do
Identify who renews the domain
Look for the supplier charging for your domain registration. Record its renewal date and check you control the account. Your website designer is not necessarily your domain provider; an old invoice is a starting point, not proof of current ownership.
Identify where the website runs
Record the platform and hosting supplier separately. A WordPress website can have a separate host, while a hosted website builder normally includes hosting within its platform subscription. Ask your supplier if you cannot tell from your account.
Identify the inbox provider
Check which service you sign into to read business email and who bills for it. A website can move while that inbox stays with its existing provider, provided the connection records and any hosting dependencies are preserved.
Make a simple ownership record
Keep a private list of each supplier, account owner, renewal and support route. Add who manages DNS: the records connecting the domain to the website and email. This list makes future changes much easier to plan.
What to check
- You know who can help with each service.
- You can access the accounts through your own named sign-in.
- No subscription has been cancelled merely because the website is changing.
Sources and further reading
Platform features can change. Check the provider’s current guidance before changing a live service.