Troubleshooting Domain Connect Issues : Hover Customer Support

If you've connected your domain to a website builder or online store using Hover's Connect tool and the connection isn't working, this article covers the two most common reasons any Connect-based integration — including Etsy, Shopify, Squarespace, Tumblr, Format, Exposure, Jimdo, Pattern by Etsy, and others — fails to complete, and how to fix them.

Why Domain Connections Sometimes Fail

Connecting your domain through Connect depends on two things working together correctly: your domain's nameservers need to point to Hover, and your domain's DNS records need to point to the right address. Nameservers are the servers that control which company manages your domain's settings, while DNS (Domain Name System) records are the specific address entries that tell the internet where your domain should send visitors. If either of these is set up incorrectly — often because you previously used a different host, or recently transferred your domain from another registrar — the connection will fail, no matter which platform you're connecting to.

Before you begin

An active Hover domain — the domain you're trying to connect through Connect.
Access to your Hover control panel — you'll need to sign in with your chosen method of two-factor authentication (2FA) to check and adjust settings.
No active third-party services tied to your current DNS — if you're using email or other services through a different provider, confirm you no longer need them before changing nameservers, since switching moves domain management to Hover.

Step 1: Check Your Domain's Nameservers

Start here if your Connect connection isn't completing. Nameservers that don't point to Hover are the most common cause.

Sign in to your Hover control panel using your chosen method of 2FA.
Click Domains. If you have more than one domain, click the domain you'd like to connect.
On the Overview tab, scroll to the Nameservers section to see your domain's current nameservers.

Step 2: Update Your Nameservers if Needed

Warning: Before changing your nameservers, make sure you're no longer relying on email or any other service tied to your current DNS manager. Switching nameservers moves control of your domain's settings to Hover.

If the nameservers aren't set to ns1.hover.com and ns2.hover.com, click Edit next to the Nameservers section.
Enter ns1.hover.com and ns2.hover.com, then click Save nameservers.

Step 3: Check Your Domain's DNS Records

If your nameservers are already correct but the connection still isn't working, check your DNS records next. For the Connect tool to work, your domain's A record (the record that points your domain to a specific address) must point to Hover's IP address, 216.40.34.41.

Sign in to your Hover control panel using your chosen method of 2FA.
Click Domains, then click the domain you'd like to connect.
Select the DNS tab and confirm you have both a root A record (listed as @) and a wildcard A record (listed as *).

Step 4: Fix Missing or Incorrect DNS Records

If your DNS dashboard has no records at all, open the Bulk Edit dropdown menu and select Reset DNS — this automatically populates the correct DNS information needed for domain forwarding to work.
If records exist but the IP address is wrong, click Edit beside both the @ (root) and * (wildcard) records.
Enter 216.40.34.41 as the value for each, then click Save changes.

Next steps

Using Etsy specifically? — see Troubleshooting Etsy Domain Connections instead, which covers an Etsy-only nuance around the Etsy Plus voucher discount.
Connect your domain to Etsy — see Connecting Your Domain to Etsy.
Connect your domain to Pattern by Etsy — see Connecting Your Domain to Pattern by Etsy.
Connect your domain to Shopify — see Connecting Your Domain to Shopify.
Connect your domain to Squarespace — see Connecting Your Domain to Squarespace.
Connect your domain to Tumblr — see Connecting Your Domain to Tumblr.
Connect your domain to Format — see Connecting Your Domain to Format.
Connect your domain to Jimdo — see Connecting Your Domain to Jimdo.
Connect your domain to Exposure — see Connecting Your Domain to Exposure.
Learn more about the Connect tool — see Connecting Your Domain to a Host Using Connect for an overview of how Connect works with other hosting providers.