How do I access my site while waiting for the domain transfer?

When you've just signed up for web hosting with a domain name transfer, it's normal for your domain name not to be configured yet to point to your server, since it's still pointing to your previous host. In addition, our shared hosting plans use IP addresses shared between multiple users. This means that you cannot access your site by simply typing the server's IP address into your browser.

But don't worry! Here are two methods for accessing your site before your domain name is transferred:

Solution 1: Add a temporary preprod.hodi.cloud domain

We provide a temporary subdomain in the form votresite.preprod.hodi.cloud that you can use to view and test your site immediately.

• Log in to your cPanel.
• In the "Domains" section, choose "Domains".
• Click the "Create a New Domain" button.
• Choose a name ending in preprod.hodi.cloud.
• Check the "Share document root" box.
• Confirm.

Warning: CMSs such as WordPress or PrestaShop may save the site's URL in their database. If you access your site via this temporary URL, some resources may not display correctly, or you may be automatically redirected to the original domain name. Refer to your CMS's official documentation to temporarily change the site URL, then switch back to your main domain name once DNS propagation is complete.

Solution 2: Edit your computer's hosts file

This method lets you manually map your domain name to the server's IP address, only on your computer.

Example entry to add to your hosts file:

123.123.123.123 mapetiteentreprise.re www.mapetiteentreprise.re(replace 123.123.123.123 with your server's IP address and mapetiteentreprise.re with your domain name)

On Windows

• Click the Start button and type Notepad in the search bar.
• Right-click "Notepad" and choose "Run as administrator" (required to save the file).
• In Notepad, click File > Open.
• Navigate to the folder: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc
• In the bottom right of the open dialog, change "Text Documents (*.txt)" to "All Files".
• Select the hosts file and open it.
• Add the line containing the IP and your domain name to the end of the file.
• Save and close Notepad.
• To flush the DNS cache, open an administrator command prompt and type: ipconfig /flushdnsFlush the DNS cache

If this doesn't work, or if you have trouble following the procedure, we invite you to contact your usual IT support, or try the first solution. Hodi's technical support cannot provide support for your operating system.

On macOS

• Open Terminal (via Spotlight or in Applications > Utilities).
• Type the following command to edit the hosts file: sudo nano /etc/hosts (you'll need to enter your administrator password - nothing will appear on screen, not even asterisks, that's normal - then press Enter).
• Use the keyboard arrows to scroll down to the end of the file, then add the line containing the IP and your domain name.
• Press Ctrl + O to save, then Enter to confirm. Then Ctrl + X to exit.
• To flush the DNS cache, type: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

If this doesn't work, or if you have trouble following the procedure, we invite you to contact your usual IT support, or try the first solution. Hodi's technical support cannot provide support for your operating system.

Updated on: 17/07/2026