Yes, you can keep a domain name without hosting, as long as you keep the domain registration renewed with your registrar.
Think of a domain as your street address on the internet, and hosting as the building where your website lives. You can own the address even if you have no website online yet, which is common for Orlando businesses holding a name for a new location, a rebrand, or a future launch.
| Piece | What it does | What happens if you do not have web hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Domain registration | Reserves the name (example.com) in DNS | You still own it and can point it anywhere later |
| Web hosting | Stores and serves website files | No website loads unless you point the domain to another host |
| DNS management | Controls where the domain points (A, CNAME, MX, TXT records) | You can still run email, redirects, or a parked page if DNS is set up |
What you can do with a domain and no hosting: park it with a simple placeholder page, forward it to another site or landing page, or use it for domain-based services. If you already use email on the domain, keep your DNS records (especially MX and TXT) exactly as they are, or your inbox can stop receiving mail.
The one trap we see a lot is DNS being tied to the old host. Before you cancel hosting, copy your DNS records and move DNS to your registrar or a DNS provider, then confirm your email still works. When you are ready to launch, our WordPress hosting keeps the handoff clean, so your domain, site, and email can stay stable while you switch.
If you are building on WordPress, this quick explainer on what WordPress is and why businesses use it can help you pick the right setup.
If your domain is currently unused, we usually set a branded “coming soon” page or a simple redirect to your main call-to-action, then schedule the full site build when you are ready. If you want a new site that matches your brand and converts visitors into calls, our website design team can build it so switching from “domain only” to a live website is straightforward.
One last note: keep auto-renew on and keep your contact email current, because expired domains can eventually become available to someone else if they are not renewed. If you want help cleaning up DNS records, setting a redirect, or keeping email running while you change providers, we can handle the setup and the checks.
Related: if you are also deciding on site security, our FAQ on HTTPS and SEO covers what really matters for modern websites.
