A domain, a website and an email service can be supplied together, but they are different things. Knowing which provider controls each part makes a move much less confusing.
Domain registration
Registration gives you the right to use a domain under the applicable terms. Check the registrant details, account access and renewal arrangements. The registrar manages your registration; that does not automatically mean it hosts your website or supplies your mailboxes.
DNS
DNS records direct different services. Website records and mail records do different jobs, and verification records may belong to other business tools. Changing a registrar, changing nameservers and moving a website are separate actions with different consequences.
Mailboxes, aliases and sending arrangements depend on the email provider and plan. Ask which service is included, how it is accessed and who manages account changes. Do not assume a domain registration includes unlimited mailboxes or outgoing mail.
Web hosting
Hosting provides the environment that serves the website. Application maintenance, backups and email support may have separate scopes. Check the proposal rather than relying on a single storage figure or the fact that one company sends all the invoices.
Before moving anything
Record the current providers, DNS and account responsibilities. Confirm that the person requesting the change is authorised, take appropriate private backups and decide what must remain working. Do not cancel the existing provider merely because a domain transfer has started.
See our domains and DNS, website hosting and Exchange email pages for related services.
Sources and further reading
Guidance checked 26 October 2026: Nominet’s domain support resources.
Illustrations
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