One of the first steps in launching your website with Sternhost is connecting your domain name to our servers. Whether your domain is registered with us or another registrar (like Namecheap, GoDaddy, or Google Domains), this guide walks you through how to point your domain to your Sternhost hosting plan using DNS.

🔍 What Does “Pointing Your Domain” Mean?

When you register a domain, it needs to know where your website lives. That’s done through Domain Name System (DNS) settings — specifically nameservers or A records — that tell the domain to connect to your Sternhost hosting account.

✅ Step-by-Step: Pointing Your Domain to Sternhost

Option 1: Change Nameservers (Recommended)

This is the easiest and most flexible method — it allows Sternhost to manage your DNS settings completely.

✏️ Step 1: Locate Sternhost Nameservers

After purchasing your hosting plan, you’ll receive a welcome email from Sternhost with nameservers. Typically, they look like this:

If you didn’t receive them, you can also find them in your Sternhost Client Area under My Services > Hosting Details.

✏️ Step 2: Log in to Your Domain Registrar

Go to where your domain is registered (e.g. GoDaddy, Namecheap).

• Find the DNS Management or Nameservers section.

• Choose “Custom Nameservers.”

• Replace existing nameservers with Sternhost’s:

• Save or confirm the changes.

⏳ DNS changes may take up to 24–48 hours to fully propagate worldwide.

Option 2: Update A Records (Advanced)

If you want to keep DNS management with your registrar but point only the web traffic to Sternhost, you can update the A record.

✏️ Step 1: Get Your Sternhost Server IP

Find your shared IP address in your cPanel Dashboard or in the welcome email.

✏️ Step 2: Modify A Record at Your Registrar

• Go to DNS settings.

• Locate the A record for your root domain (@) and www.

• Edit the IP to match the Sternhost IP (e.g. 185.123.45.67)

• Save your changes.

🧠 Don’t forget to delete or disable conflicting A records to avoid routing issues.

🌍 How to Check If DNS Has Propagated

Use tools like:

• WhatsMyDNS

• DNS Checker

Enter your domain and check that the nameservers or A records are pointing to Sternhost.

🛡️ Bonus Tip: Enable SSL After DNS Propagation

Once your domain is fully connected, head into your cPanel > SSL/TLS section and install a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate.

🔗 How to Install an SSL Certificate on Sternhost →

🚀 Why Choose Sternhost?

• Fast, secure SSD hosting

• Free domain registration on select plans

• 24/7 expert support

• Easy-to-use cPanel interface

👉 Explore Hosting Plans

🧠 Need Help?

Visit our full Knowledgebase, or reach out to Sternhost Support — we’ll help you every step of the way.

Website cache is a powerful tool that can improve page load times and enhance user experience. But sometimes, it can also be the root of frustrating issues—like changes not reflecting or loading outdated content. In this article, we’ll walk you through what caching is, why you may need to clear it, and how to do it properly, especially if you’re using Sternhost.

🔍 What Is Website Caching?

Caching stores temporary versions of your website’s files (like images, scripts, and HTML) so they load faster for returning visitors. It reduces server load, improves site speed, and ultimately enhances your website’s performance.

There are several types of cache:

• Browser Cache: Stored in the visitor’s browser.

• Server Cache: Managed on your hosting server.

• Plugin/Tool-Based Cache: Generated by platforms like WordPress caching plugins (e.g., WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache).

• CDN Cache: Cached at content delivery network nodes.

🧹 When Should You Clear Your Cache?

Clearing your cache may be necessary when:

• You’ve updated your website but see no changes

• You’re experiencing layout or functionality issues

• You’ve switched themes or plugins

• You’re debugging or testing a new feature

Left uncleared, old cached files can conflict with updates and user experience.

✅ How to Clear Your Cache (Step-by-Step)

1. Clear Browser Cache

This is the first and easiest step. On most browsers:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Del (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + Del (Mac)

• Select cached files and clear them

Google’s guide on clearing cache

2. Clear WordPress Cache

If your site is powered by WordPress and you’re using Sternhost, you can easily clear plugin cache.

For W3 Total Cache:

• Go to Performance > Dashboard

• Click empty all caches

For WP Super Cache:

• Go to Settings > WP Super Cache

• Click Delete Cache

👉 Need a WordPress hosting plan? Sternhost makes it easy.

3. Clear cPanel Cache (Server-Side)

If your site is hosted on Sternhost’s SSD-powered servers, you can clear server-level cache from cPanel.

Steps:

1. Log in to your cPanel Dashboard

2. Locate the Cache Manager or LiteSpeed Cache if available

3. Click Purge All

If you’re unsure, you can also raise a support ticket via your Sternhost client area.

4. Clear CDN Cache

If you’re using a CDN like Cloudflare:

• Log in to your Cloudflare dashboard

• Choose your website

• Navigate to Caching > Configuration

• Click Purge Everything

More on integrating CDN with your Sternhost site →

🧠 Best Practices for Caching

• Use caching wisely – it’s a performance boost, not a fix for broken code

• Use versioning when updating CSS/JS to avoid stale cache

• Educate clients or team about caching during development

• Use automation tools like WP Rocket or LiteSpeed to manage caching efficiently

🛡️ Hosting That Supports Smart Caching

Sternhost’s hosting environment is built to support smart caching, CDNs, and performance-boosting tools like LiteSpeed, Cloudflare integration, and WordPress-optimized servers. If you’re not yet hosting with us, consider switching to a fast, reliable plan today.

✍️ Final Thoughts

Website cache is great—until it gets in the way. Knowing when and how to clear it gives you control and confidence over your site’s performance. If you’re using Sternhost, rest assured we provide the tools and support to manage caching smoothly.

🔗 Still confused? Visit our Knowledgebase or reach out to Sternhost Support for personalized help.

Custom error pages are a great way to enhance your website’s user experience by replacing generic server error messages (like 404 Not Found, 403 Forbidden, or 500 Internal Server Error) with branded, helpful, and visually appealing alternatives.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to create and set up custom error pages using cPanel on your Sternhost account.

🔧 Why Use Custom Error Pages?

• Keep users engaged even when they hit an error

• Guide users back to important pages

• Improve SEO by reducing bounce rates

• Reinforce your brand’s tone and style

🛠 Step 1: Create Your Custom Error Page(s)

You can use HTML or a content management system (like WordPress) to create your error pages.

Create a separate page for each type of error:

• 404.html for Page Not Found

• 403.html for Forbidden

• 500.html for Server Error

Add friendly messages, navigation links, and your logo or theme to each page.

🛠 Step 2: Upload Error Pages to Your Site

1. Log in to your Sternhost cPanel.

2. Go to File Manager.

3. Navigate to the root folder of your website (usually /public_html).

4. Upload your 404.html, 403.html, and 500.html files.

⚙ Step 3: Configure Custom Error Pages in cPanel

1. In cPanel, go to Advanced > Error Pages.

2. Select the domain you want to configure.

3. Click on the error code you want to customize (e.g., 404, 403, or 500).

4. Choose one of these options:

   • Use the built-in HTML editor

   • Paste custom HTML code

   • Use a redirect to the error page you uploaded (e.g., /404.html)

Repeat the steps for each error code.

✅ Bonus: Use .htaccess for Manual Control

If you’re comfortable with code, you can also use your .htaccess file:

1. Open File Manager > Show Hidden Files

2. Edit the .htaccess file in /public_html

3. Add the lines above

4. Save changes

🔄 Test Your Pages

• Try visiting a non-existent page to check your 404 page.

• Attempt to access restricted content for 403.

• Simulate a 500 error (e.g., with a faulty PHP script) if needed.

Need Help?

Our Sternhost Support Team is available 24/7 if you need help with setup or troubleshooting.

📢 Start Building with Confidence

With Sternhost, you get full control over your hosting environment, advanced tools like cPanel, and the ability to fully brand your website experience—even your error pages.

➡️ Explore our affordable hosting plans at sternhost.com.

If your emails from Sternhost aren’t reaching inboxes, land in spam, or bounce back, you’re not alone. Email delivery issues are common but can usually be resolved quickly with a few checks and adjustments.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• Why emails go to spam

• What causes bounces

• How blacklists affect delivery

• Steps to diagnose and fix email delivery problems

🚫 1. Why Emails Go to Spam

Emails may land in the spam folder for several reasons:

• Sending from a free domain email like @gmail.com instead of your domain

• No SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records configured

• Overuse of spam-triggering words (e.g., “free,” “urgent”)

• Missing unsubscribe link in bulk messages

• Low domain reputation

✅ Fix:
Make sure your DNS has proper email authentication records:

• SPF: Verifies sending server

• DKIM: Verifies message integrity

• DMARC: Prevents spoofing

👉 Use Sternhost’s DNS Zone Editor in cPanel to manage these records.
📖 Learn How to Add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Records

📭 2. Why Emails Bounce Back

If your email bounces, it means it wasn’t delivered at all. The bounce message often includes an error code:

Possible causes:

• Recipient’s mailbox is full or inactive

• Your domain or IP is blacklisted

• Sending to incorrect or outdated email address

✅ Fix:

• Double-check the recipient address

• Reduce attachments size

• Use Sternhost Webmail to test delivery

• Contact the recipient’s IT team if needed

🛑 3. Blacklisted IP or Domain

Your emails may be blocked because your sending IP or domain is on an email blacklist. This can happen if:

• A script on your site sends spam

• Your account was compromised

• Shared IP users abuse mail functions

✅ Fix:

• Check blacklist status at: mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx

• If blacklisted, open a support ticket with Sternhost Support.

• Secure your website and email by scanning for malware and resetting passwords.

🔧 General Troubleshooting Checklist

✅ Authenticate with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
✅ Use business emails (e.g., info@yourdomain.com)
✅ Avoid spammy subject lines
✅ Clean up your contact list regularly
✅ Don’t send unsolicited emails
✅ Keep your scripts and WordPress plugins updated

📨 Use Sternhost’s Email Tools

Sternhost offers powerful tools through cPanel:

• Email Deliverability tool to test SPF/DKIM

• Track Delivery to monitor email status

• Webmail for instant access

• Spam Filters for inbox protection

💬 Still Not Working?

Our expert support team is available to help you troubleshoot.
👉 Open a Support Ticket
👉 Or check our Email Tutorials

🔚 Final Note

Email delivery issues can be frustrating, but with the right tools and configuration, your emails will be more reliable than ever. With Sternhost, you’re backed by secure servers, built-in spam protection, and friendly support.

As your website grows, ensuring your hosting can handle increasing traffic becomes critical. Poor hosting performance during traffic spikes can lead to slow loading times, errors, or even downtime — all of which hurt user experience and SEO rankings.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to assess whether your current hosting plan can support your website traffic and what to look for if you need an upgrade.

Why Hosting Capacity Matters for Website Traffic

Your web hosting is the foundation that delivers your site content to visitors. When traffic grows, so do the demands on your server’s CPU, RAM, bandwidth, and disk I/O. If your hosting cannot scale or handle these demands, visitors may face slow or inaccessible pages.

Google’s page experience update also highlights the importance of fast, reliable hosting for SEO success.

Signs Your Hosting May Not Handle Your Traffic

1. Slow Loading Times
   If your website’s load time spikes during busy hours, it may indicate resource limits.

2. Frequent Downtime
   Unexpected outages or 503 errors (“Service Unavailable”) during traffic surges suggest server overload.

3. Bandwidth Overages
   Your host notifies you of exceeded bandwidth limits, leading to throttling or extra fees.

4. Error Messages
   Database connection errors or timeouts often happen when server resources max out.

5. Limited Scalability Options
   If your current hosting plan offers no easy upgrade path or resource scaling, it may not support traffic growth.

How to Test Your Hosting’s Traffic Capacity

• Load Testing Tools: Services like GTmetrix or LoadImpact simulate traffic spikes to observe performance.

• Monitoring Analytics: Use Google Analytics and server logs to track traffic patterns and identify peak loads.

• Uptime Monitoring: Tools like UptimeRobot can alert you to downtime or performance drops.

Hosting Features That Support High Traffic

When choosing or upgrading hosting, look for:

• Auto-scaling: Automatically adds resources during high traffic.

• Content Delivery Network (CDN): Distributes your content globally for faster delivery (see Cloudflare CDN benefits).

• Dedicated Resources: VPS or dedicated servers provide guaranteed CPU and RAM.

• Caching Solutions: Server and browser caching speed up repeat visits and reduce server load.

Plan Ahead for Growth

Predicting traffic growth helps you choose the right hosting plan:

• Start with shared hosting for low traffic, but be ready to move to VPS or dedicated hosting as visitors increase.

• Consider cloud hosting that offers flexible, pay-as-you-grow resources.

• Regularly review your site’s performance and traffic data.

Final Thoughts

Monitoring your website’s performance and understanding your hosting’s resource limits ensures your site stays fast and accessible, even during traffic surges. Investing in scalable, reliable hosting protects your brand reputation and SEO rankings.

Looking for hosting plans built to handle growing traffic with ease and reliability? Explore flexible hosting solutions here tailored for websites of all sizes.

If you’re hosting your website with Sternhost, monitoring your disk space usage is essential for maintaining optimal site performance and avoiding service interruptions. Whether you’re running a small blog or managing a growing eCommerce site, staying within your hosting limits helps ensure everything runs smoothly.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to check and manage your disk space usage in cPanel, available on all Sternhost plans.

What Is Disk Space in Web Hosting?

Disk space refers to the amount of storage available on your web hosting account for files such as:

• Website code and content

• Databases

• Email messages and attachments

• Media files (images, videos, PDFs)

• Backup files and system logs

Each Sternhost hosting plan includes a specific disk quota. Exceeding this limit can cause email or website issues — that’s why monitoring your usage is important.

How to Check Disk Space in cPanel

To view your current disk space usage on Sternhost, follow these steps:

1. Log in to cPanel:
   Go to your Sternhost cPanel login page. (Tip: Use yourdomain.com/cpanel to access it easily.)

2. Navigate to “Disk Usage”:
   Under the Files section, click on Disk Usage.

3. Review Usage Summary:
   You’ll see a visual bar and list of directories sorted by size. This includes your /home, /public_html, email folders, and backups.

4. Click to Explore:
   Use the folder icons to expand and drill into subdirectories using the File Manager for more detail.

Tips to Reduce Disk Usage

Here are some ways to free up space and keep your site lean:

• Delete unused files: Remove old backups, themes, or images.

• Empty trash and cache: Especially for CMSs like WordPress.

• Manage email storage: Download or delete large attachments.

• Optimize databases: Use phpMyAdmin or a plugin to clean up overhead.

• Compress images: Use tools like TinyPNG or plugins for compression.

What Happens When You Run Out of Disk Space?

Running out of disk space can lead to:

• Website downtime

• Failed email delivery

• Inability to update your site or install plugins

• Backup and script errors

To avoid this, regularly monitor your usage and consider upgrading your plan if needed.

Need More Space?

If your website is growing and you’re frequently hitting your disk quota, you might be due for an upgrade.

👉 Explore Sternhost Hosting Plans
👉 Contact Support if you’re unsure of the best option.

Final Thoughts

Monitoring disk usage isn’t just for developers — every website owner should check it occasionally. Thankfully, Sternhost makes it easy to stay in control with a user-friendly cPanel dashboard and reliable hosting infrastructure.

Keep your site running smoothly. Stay informed. Stay optimized.

Spam comments, fake logins, and brute-force attacks are common threats to WordPress websites. One of the most effective ways to stop them is by integrating Google reCAPTCHA into your WordPress forms.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to enable Google reCAPTCHA in WordPress—keeping your site secure and your user experience smooth.

What is Google reCAPTCHA?

Google reCAPTCHA is a free security service that protects your website from spam and abuse. It uses advanced risk analysis to distinguish between humans and bots, often requiring no user interaction beyond a simple checkbox or invisible validation.

Why Use reCAPTCHA on WordPress?

Enabling reCAPTCHA helps:

• Stop fake registrations and logins

• Protect your contact and comment forms

• Block automated spam attacks

• Enhance site credibility and user trust

What You Need

• A WordPress site hosted on Sternhost

• Google account (to generate site keys)

• A plugin to enable reCAPTCHA (e.g. WPForms, Contact Form 7, Login No Captcha reCAPTCHA)

How to Enable Google reCAPTCHA on Your WordPress Site

Step 1: Get Google reCAPTCHA Site Key & Secret Key

1. Visit Google reCAPTCHA Admin Console

2. Sign in with your Google account

3. Register your site:

   • Label: Your Website Name

   • Choose reCAPTCHA type: v2 (“I’m not a robot”) or v3 (invisible)

   • Add your domain (e.g., yourdomain.com)

   • Accept the reCAPTCHA Terms of Service

4. Click Submit

5. Copy your Site Key and Secret Key

Step 2: Install a reCAPTCHA Plugin

Install and activate one of the following plugins:

• WPForms

• Login No Captcha reCAPTCHA

• Simple Google reCAPTCHA

With Sternhost’s WordPress hosting, you can easily install any plugin via your cPanel or WordPress admin dashboard.

Step 3: Configure reCAPTCHA in the Plugin

• Go to your plugin’s settings (usually under Settings > reCAPTCHA)

• Paste the Site Key and Secret Key

• Choose where to enable it (e.g., login, registration, comments, contact forms)

• Save changes

Step 4: Test the Form

Visit your site’s login or contact page and check if the reCAPTCHA field is visible and working. Try submitting a form to verify functionality.

Best Practices

• Choose v2 for visible checkbox or v3 for invisible protection.

• Use reCAPTCHA on all forms accessible to the public.

• Regularly update your keys and plugin for maximum protection.

Keep Your Website Secure with Sternhost

At Sternhost, we offer:

• One-click WordPress installations

• SSL certificates for encrypted connections

• cPanel tools for easy site management

• Built-in malware protection and firewalls

🛡️ Secure your website today at www.sternhost.com

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