What Is an NS Record? NS Lookup and Nameserver Checker

Check which nameservers a domain uses

Free, no sign-up — results in seconds.

What NS records look like

example.co.za.   86400  IN  NS  ns1.provider.co.za.
example.co.za.   86400  IN  NS  ns2.provider.co.za.

Two copies: parent and child

NS records exist in two places:

At the registry (parent). When you set nameservers at your registrar, the registry publishes these NS records in the TLD zone. This is the delegation that resolvers follow.
In your own zone (child). Your DNS provider also publishes NS records inside your zone.

The two lists should match. If the registry lists a server that doesn't have your zone (a “lame” delegation), some lookups fail.

Glue records

If your nameservers are inside the domain they serve — for example ns1.example.co.za for example.co.za — resolvers need their IP addresses before they can ask them anything. The registry publishes those IPs as glue records, which you set through your registrar.

How many nameservers?

At least two, ideally on separate networks, so your domain keeps resolving if one is unreachable. Most DNS providers give you two to four.

Common NS problems

Editing DNS at a provider that isn't listed in the NS records — the changes have no effect.
Nameservers changed at the registrar before the zone was created at the new provider.
A typo in a nameserver name at the registrar.
An old, decommissioned nameserver still in the list.

Reading a delegation with dig +trace

dig +trace shows each step a resolver takes. A shortened example:

.             518400  IN  NS  a.root-servers.net.
za.           172800  IN  NS  (the .za TLD servers)
co.za.        ...     IN  NS  (the .co.za registry servers)
example.co.za. ...    IN  NS  ns1.provider.co.za.
example.co.za. 3600   IN  A   196.22.132.10

If the trace stops with an error at a particular step, that's where the problem is: a registry delegation pointing at the wrong servers, a nameserver that doesn't answer, or a nameserver that answers without having your zone.

Why the NS TTL matters

The NS records published at the registry carry their own TTL, set by the registry rather than by you. Resolvers that cached the old delegation keep asking the old nameservers until it expires. That's why the old provider should keep serving your zone for a day or two after a change — and why nameserver changes are the slowest type of DNS change.

Checking a domain's nameservers

Use the NS lookup, or from a terminal:

dig NS example.co.za +short
dig +trace example.co.za   # shows the delegation from the root down

Changing them? Follow our step-by-step guide to changing nameservers safely.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I change my nameservers?

At your domain registrar. Your DNS provider or web host tells you which nameserver names to enter.

Why do my NS records show old nameservers?

Resolvers cache the delegation. Nameserver changes can take several hours, sometimes up to 48 hours, to be seen everywhere.

Can I use nameservers from two providers?

Only if both serve identical copies of your zone (for example via zone transfers). Mixing unrelated providers leads to inconsistent answers.

Registering or moving a .co.za domain? HostFaddy is an accredited registrar — see domain registration and domain transfers.