How to Change Nameservers: A Step-by-Step Guide

Changing your domain's nameservers is a straightforward process, but getting it wrong can take your website offline. This guide covers exactly how to do it safely, with instructions for the most popular registrars.

Why Change Nameservers?

Common reasons to change nameservers include:

• Moving to a better DNS provider (e.g., Cloudflare, AWS Route 53)
• Switching web hosting providers
• Setting up CDN services that require their own nameservers
• Improving DNS performance and reliability

Before You Start

Take these precautions before making any changes:

1. Document your current DNS records — Export or screenshot all existing records (A, CNAME, MX, TXT). You'll need to recreate them at the new provider.
2. Lower your TTL values — 24-48 hours before switching, lower your TTL to 300 seconds (5 minutes). This speeds up propagation when you make the change.
3. Set up records at the new provider first — Create all your DNS records in the new DNS provider before pointing your nameservers there.
4. Note your new nameserver addresses — Your new DNS provider will give you nameserver addresses like ns1.provider.com and ns2.provider.com.

Changing Nameservers at GoDaddy

1. Log in to your GoDaddy account and go to My Products.
2. Click DNS next to the domain you want to update.
3. Scroll down to Nameservers and click Change.
4. Select Custom and enter your new nameserver addresses.
5. Click Save to apply the changes.

Changing Nameservers at Namecheap

1. Log in to Namecheap and go to Domain List.
2. Click Manage next to your domain.
3. Under the Nameservers section, select Custom DNS.
4. Enter your new nameserver addresses and click the green checkmark.

Changing Nameservers at Google Domains / Squarespace

1. Sign in to your Google Domains account (now managed by Squarespace).
2. Select the domain and go to DNS settings.
3. Switch to Custom name servers.
4. Add your new nameserver addresses and save.

After Making the Change

Once you've updated your nameservers:

• Wait for propagation — DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate globally, though most complete within 1-4 hours.
• Verify the change — Use our Nameserver Lookup Tool to confirm your domain is pointing to the new nameservers.
• Test your website — Check that your site, email, and other services are working correctly.
• Monitor for issues — Keep an eye on things for the first 24-48 hours.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Not recreating DNS records — If your records don't exist at the new provider, your site and email will go down.
• Typos in nameserver addresses — Double-check every character.
• Mixing nameservers from different providers — Use only nameservers from a single provider unless you know exactly what you're doing.

Changing nameservers is a routine operation, but preparation is key. Follow these steps, and the transition should be seamless.