DNS guide

NS Record — Nameserver Setup Guide

NS records delegate your domain's DNS management to a specific DNS provider. They're set at your registrar and tell the internet which servers hold your DNS records. Changing them moves all your DNS.

Example NS records

Cloudflare

@ NS ns1.cloudflare.com @ NS ns2.cloudflare.com

Route 53

@ NS ns-123.awsdns-45.com @ NS ns-456.awsdns-67.net @ NS ns-789.awsdns-89.org @ NS ns-012.awsdns-01.co.uk

Key point

NS records are set at your registrar (Namecheap, GoDaddy, etc.) — not at your DNS provider. Changing NS records can take 24-48 hours and affects all DNS.

Query NS across resolvers

Open Propagation checker →

Step by step

Step 1 Get the nameserver values from your new DNS provider.

Step 2 Log into your domain registrar.

Step 3 Find Custom Nameservers or DNS settings.

Step 4 Replace existing NS records with new values.

Step 5 Wait 24-48 hours — NS changes propagate slowly.

FAQ

What is an NS record?

A record that specifies which DNS servers are authoritative for your domain. Changed at your registrar.

How long do NS record changes take?

24-48 hours. Slower than other DNS changes because registrars cache NS records longer.

Will changing NS records break my email?

Temporarily — until the new DNS provider has all your records. Copy all existing DNS records to the new provider before switching NS.

Can I see my current NS records?

Yes — run DomainPreflight Propagation checker and query NS type for your domain.

What if my NS records are wrong?

Contact your registrar — NS records can only be changed there, not at the DNS provider level.

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