Getting traffic to arrive.
WHAT YOU NEED
Your server's IP address Access to wherever your domain's DNS is managed
THE RECORDS
An A record for the domain pointing at the server's IPv4 address An A record for www, or a CNAME to the domain An AAAA record if you use IPv6 MX records, if the server handles mail Any subdomain records
WHERE TO MANAGE THEM
If you run your own nameservers, in your DNS configuration. If your registrar hosts DNS, there. If you use a third-party DNS provider, there.
Most VPS owners use their registrar's DNS or a third-party provider rather than running nameservers, which is simpler and more resilient.
AFTER POINTING
Wait for propagation. Test with a DNS lookup rather than your browser.
Then configure the virtual host, issue a certificate, and test.
BEFORE POINTING
Test with a hosts file entry so the site is working before any visitor can reach it.
LOWER THE TTL FIRST
A day before a planned change, so propagation is fast when it matters.
