A nameserver is a server that stores a domain’s DNS records and answers questions about them. When anyone looks up example.com, the final answer comes from that domain’s authoritative nameservers.
Where nameservers are set
At your registrar. The registrar passes the list to the registry for your domain ending (such as .com), which tells the whole internet “for example.com, ask these servers”. You will usually see two to four names, such as ns1.provider.net and ns2.provider.net.
Changing nameservers versus changing records
| You change | What moves | Typical wait |
|---|---|---|
| A record | Where the website points | Minutes to hours (the TTL) |
| Nameservers | Who controls every record | Up to 48 hours |
Changing nameservers hands the whole zone to a new provider. Any record not recreated there disappears, including email (MX) and verification (TXT) records. Before switching:
- List every record at the current provider. Many panels have an export option.
- Recreate them all at the new provider.
- Only then change the nameservers at the registrar.
Check which nameservers a domain uses
dig NS example.com +short
whois example.comdig asks DNS; whois shows what the registry has on file. During a change they can briefly disagree.
Running your own
Your host or DNS provider normally runs the nameservers for you. Running your own is possible but rarely worth it: nameservers need to be reliable, spread across networks and protected from attacks, because if they fail, the whole domain stops resolving.
Something out of date? Software changes. If a step no longer works, tell us and we will check it and update the page.
