Viewing Your Website Before Changing Your Nameservers Using Host Files
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Last Updated:
November 14, 2014 2:20 PM
Adding entries to your hosts file lets you view the files you uploaded to your hosting account before changing your domain's nameservers. To do this, add your hosting account's IP address as an entry on your computer's host (your computer). Where that files is depends on your operating system (OS):
| OS | Host File Location |
|---|---|
| Windows (8, 7, XP, etc.) | c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts |
| Macintosh OS X | /etc/hosts |
| Linux | /etc/hosts |
Now, add an entry for your domain/hosting account using the following format:
[your account's IP address] [your fully qualified domain name]
For example:
12.0.0.1 coolexample.com
If you need your IP address, see Find IP address of your website.
After your domain propagates be sure to remove the entry from your hosts file. If you do not remove the entry and change plans or servers in the future, you will not be able to view your site.
NOTE: We do not support modifying your system files, do so at your own risk.
