Changing Nameservers for DNS Management

Nameservers are the first thing domain names look to when they need to know where the content of a site is located. Nameservers dictate the DNS, which means you have to set up DNS records with your nameserver provider.

If you use your registrar’s nameservers, then they manage and host your DNS, and everything DNS-related needs to be set up in your registrar account. If you do not use your registrar’s nameservers, then they do not manage your DNS, and you will need to set up DNS records with your nameserver provider.

If your hosting provider asks you to point the domain name using their nameservers so they can manage the DNS, here is what you need to do:

Steps to Change Nameservers

1. Log in to your domain registrar account.
2. Navigate to your domains list.
3. Click the domain name you would like to manage.
4. Click Manage Nameservers (or similar option in the domain settings).
5. Click the Delete All button to clear the current nameservers away. Alternatively, you can delete them one by one.
6. Enter the new nameserver in the empty box and click the Add button. Be sure to add only one at a time.
7. Click Save Changes.

Important Notes

• Delete old nameservers first. If you do not delete the old nameservers before adding the new ones, it will create conflicts, and the associated website/email will not work.
• You will need at least two nameservers for the domain to work properly.
• Once you have changed nameservers, it will take roughly 48 hours for the changes to propagate across the internet.
• After changing nameservers to a third-party provider, you will need to manage all DNS records through that provider — not through your registrar.

Common Nameserver Formats

Most hosting providers will give you nameservers in a format like:

ns1.hostingprovider.com
ns2.hostingprovider.com

Some popular examples: