Overview.

When setting up a client website with Weglot's subdirectory integration, DNS changes are required to point the domain to Weglot’s infrastructure (via an A record pointing to Weglot's IP). This guide explains:

The DNS changes needed
How long changes take to take effect and why
How long to wait before assuming something has gone wrong
How long it takes to reverse DNS if Weglot fails to configure properly

Use this to set expectations with clients, identify realistic wait times, and avoid unnecessary panic or premature changes.

Weglot DNS Setup & Reversal Timing Guide

(Sorted by Total Time to Revert Back if There is a Problem)

DNS Provider	Time to See Initial Weglot Effect	Buffer to Confirm (Wait Time)	Time to Wait to See if Weglot is Working Correctly	Time to Revert to ASP DNS	Time to See Site Restored	Time to Completely Reverse the Changes	Total Time to Revert Back if There is a Problem
Cloudflare	5–10 mins	30–45 mins	35–55 mins	5–10 mins	15–30 mins	20–40 mins	55 mins – 1 hr 35 mins
Google Domains	5–15 mins	30–45 mins	35–60 mins	5–15 mins	15–30 mins	20–45 mins	55 mins – 1 hr 45 mins
Route 53 (AWS)	10–15 mins	30–60 mins	40–75 mins	10–15 mins	20–45 mins	30–60 mins	1 hr 10 mins – 2 hrs 15 mins
GoDaddy	10–30 mins	45–60 mins	55–90 mins	10–20 mins	30–60 mins	40–80 mins	1 hr 35 mins – 2 hrs 50 mins
Porkbun	15–30 mins	45–60 mins	60–90 mins	15–25 mins	30–60 mins	45–85 mins	1 hr 45 mins – 2 hrs 55 mins
Name.com	20–45 mins	60–90 mins	80–135 mins	20–30 mins	30–60 mins	50–90 mins	2 hrs 10 mins – 3 hrs 45 mins
Namecheap	20–40 mins	60–90 mins	80–130 mins	20–30 mins	30–60 mins	50–90 mins	2 hrs 10 mins – 3 hrs 40 mins
IONOS (1&1)	30–90 mins	2–3 hours	2.5 – 4.5 hours	30–60 mins	1–2 hours	1.5 – 3 hours	4 – 7.5 hours
123 Reg	30–90 mins	2–3 hours	2.5 – 4.5 hours	30–60 mins	1–2 hours	1.5 – 3 hours	4 – 7.5 hours
Fasthosts	1–2 hours	2–4 hours	3 – 6 hours	1–2 hours	2–4 hours	3 – 6 hours	6 – 12 hours
Tucows / OpenSRS	1–2 hours	2–4 hours	3 – 6 hours	1–2 hours	2–4 hours	3 – 6 hours	6 – 12 hours

What This Table Means

Each DNS provider handles changes at different speeds. When configuring Weglot’s subdirectory setup, changes may take time to appear and then propagate globally. This table helps you:

Set realistic expectations for when the translated version should start working
Avoid acting too early if the site isn't loading correctly yet
Estimate how long a rollback will take if Weglot’s integration doesn’t complete successfully

Key Terms Explained

Time to See Initial Weglot Effect: The earliest point you might see the language switcher or /fr/ URLs loading from Weglot.
Buffer to Confirm: Extra time to allow for global propagation and Cloudflare setup by Weglot.
Time to Wait to See if Weglot is Working Correctly: Total wait before you decide if Weglot is working properly.
Time to Revert to ASP DNS: How quickly you can undo the DNS change.
Time to See Site Restored: How long until ASP-hosted version becomes live again globally.
Total Time to Revert Back: Total time from initiating rollback to seeing the original site restored.

DNS Changes Required for Weglot

To enable subdirectory language URLs (e.g., /fr/, /de/), you must:

Replace the existing A record (@) for the root domain with:
104.17.201.193
Do not add it as an additional record — it must replace the existing A record(s)
Add Weglot’s JS snippet into the <head> of the site for the language switcher to appear

What to Do if It Doesn’t Work

If you’ve waited the full time (based on provider) and:

Weglot subdirectories don’t resolve
The dashboard doesn’t validate DNS
Cloudflare 1001 errors persist

…then it may be safer to rollback DNS to the original values and try again later, or escalate to Weglot support.

Rolling Back to ASP

To restore the original site:

Replace the A record back to ASP’s IP addresses (usually 75.2.20.63 and 99.83.152.109)
Allow for DNS propagation (based on table above)
Check across multiple global regions using whatsmydns.net

Best Practice Tips

Before changes: Take a screenshot or backup of the full DNS zone
Set TTL to 300 seconds (5 mins) ahead of any change if possible
Test on a non-production domain (e.g. clienttestingdomain.com) before going live
Keep comms clear with client: Send updates 1–2 hours after each DNS change, not immediately

Weglot: DNS Setup, Propagation Timing & Reversal Guide for Weglot Subdirectory Integration