What happens when you move a domain from SiteGround to Vercel
Moving a domain means changing which company's servers answer when someone types your web address into a browser. When you move from SiteGround to Vercel, you are keeping the domain name itself — you just point it at Vercel's servers instead. SiteGround will stop hosting your website files, and Vercel will start serving them.
The actual move takes about 24 to 48 hours to complete across the internet, though you can start the process when ready. During that time, your site may be unreachable for a few hours, so plan the move for a time when traffic is lowest. You will need access to both your SiteGround account and your Vercel account, plus the ability to change your domain's nameservers — the addresses that tell the internet where your site lives.
Key Takeaways
- You change nameservers at your domain registrar (often SiteGround itself, but sometimes a separate company like Namecheap or GoDaddy) to point your domain at Vercel instead of SiteGround.
- Before you change anything, deploy your website to Vercel and add your domain there so Vercel is ready to receive traffic.
- The nameserver change takes 24 to 48 hours to spread across the internet, during which your site may be offline for a few hours.
- After the change completes, you can cancel your SiteGround hosting plan, but keep the domain registration active if SiteGround is your registrar.
- If your domain is registered elsewhere (not SiteGround), you change nameservers at that registrar's website instead.
Step 1: Deploy your site to Vercel and add your domain there
Before you touch anything at SiteGround, your website needs to be live on Vercel and ready to receive traffic. If you have not already connected your code repository to Vercel, do that first — Vercel works with GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket. Push your website files to one of those services, then create a new Vercel project and connect it to your repository. Vercel will automatically deploy your site and give it a temporary Vercel domain (something like yoursite.vercel.app).
Once your site is deployed, add your real domain to the Vercel project. In your Vercel dashboard, go to your project settings, find the Domains section, and enter your domain name. Vercel will show you the nameservers you need to point your domain at — write these down. They usually look like ns1.vercel.com, ns2.vercel.com, and so on. Do not change your nameservers yet; just note what they are.
Step 2: Find where your domain is registered
Your domain registrar is the company that lets you own the domain name. This is often SiteGround, but not always — many people register their domain at GoDaddy, Namecheap, or another registrar and then host the website at SiteGround. You need to know which company controls your domain registration because that is where you will change the nameservers.
Check your email for a receipt or confirmation from when you bought the domain. If you registered it through SiteGround, your registrar is SiteGround. If you are not sure, log into your SiteGround account and look for a Domains section — if your domain is listed there, SiteGround is your registrar. If it is not listed, your domain is registered elsewhere, and you will need to log into that other company's website to change the nameservers.
Step 3: Change your nameservers at your registrar
Log into your domain registrar's website. The steps differ slightly depending on which company you use, but the goal is the same: find the nameserver settings for your domain and replace them with Vercel's nameservers.
If your registrar is SiteGround: Log into your SiteGround account, go to Domains, select your domain, and look for DNS or Nameservers. You will see four nameserver fields. Delete the existing nameservers and enter the ones Vercel gave you (ns1.vercel.com, ns2.vercel.com, and so on). Save the changes.
If your registrar is GoDaddy: Log in, go to My Products, find your domain, and click Manage DNS. Look for the Nameservers section and click Change. Enter Vercel's nameservers and save.
If your registrar is Namecheap: Log in, go to Domain List, click Manage next to your domain, and find the Nameserver section. Replace the existing nameservers with Vercel's and save.
After you save, the change begins spreading across the internet. This usually takes 24 to 48 hours, though it can be faster. During this time, your site may be unreachable for a few hours as the old and new settings conflict. This is normal.
Step 4: Wait for the nameserver change to complete
You can check the status of your nameserver change using a free tool like What's My DNS or MXToolbox. Go to either site, enter your domain name, and look for the nameserver records. When all the results show Vercel's nameservers (ns1.vercel.com, ns2.vercel.com, etc.), the change is complete and your domain is now pointing at Vercel.
While you wait, do not make any other changes to your domain or your SiteGround account. If something goes wrong during the change, you can always switch the nameservers back to SiteGround's original values, but doing so while the change is in progress can cause more problems.
Step 5: Verify your domain works and cancel SiteGround hosting
Once the nameserver change is complete, visit your domain in a browser and confirm that your Vercel site loads. If it does, the move is successful. You can now cancel your SiteGround hosting plan to stop paying for it. Log into SiteGround, go to your hosting account, and look for a cancellation or downgrade option.
Do not cancel your domain registration at SiteGround if SiteGround is your registrar — you only cancel the hosting plan. Your domain registration needs to stay active so you continue to own the domain name. If you want to move your domain registration to a different registrar later, you can do that separately, but it is not necessary.
What to do if your site goes offline during the move
If your domain stops working after you change the nameservers, the most common cause is that Vercel has not yet received the change or your site is not properly deployed on Vercel. Check your Vercel dashboard to confirm your site is deployed and your domain is added there. If it is, wait a few more hours — the nameserver change may still be spreading.
If you need your site back online when ready, you can reverse the nameserver change by switching them back to SiteGround's original values. This will take another 24 to 48 hours to complete, but it will restore your site to SiteGround. You can then troubleshoot the Vercel setup and try again later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I lose my domain name when I move to Vercel?
No. Your domain name stays yours as long as your registration stays active. Moving to Vercel only changes which company's servers host your website files. The domain itself is separate and remains registered in your name.
Can I move my domain registration from SiteGround to Vercel?
Vercel does not offer domain registration — it only hosts websites. You can point your domain at Vercel, but you must keep your domain registered at SiteGround or move it to another registrar like Namecheap or GoDaddy. Vercel will tell you which nameservers to use.
What if I registered my domain at a different company than SiteGround?
Change the nameservers at whichever company registered your domain, not at SiteGround. Log into that registrar's website, find your domain's nameserver settings, and replace them with Vercel's nameservers. SiteGround will no longer be involved once you stop using their hosting.
How long does it take for my site to work after I change the nameservers?
Usually 24 to 48 hours, though it can be faster. Your site may be offline for a few hours during the change as the old and new settings conflict. You can check the status using a free tool like What's My DNS to see when the change is complete.
Do I need to keep paying for SiteGround after I move?
You only need to cancel the hosting plan. If SiteGround is your domain registrar, keep the domain registration active so you continue to own the domain. If you registered your domain elsewhere, you do not need anything from SiteGround after the move is complete.