NS Record Lookup

Check NS records (authoritative nameservers) for any domain across 12 global resolvers. Free real-time DNS propagation checker.

What is an NS record?

An NS record ("name server") tells the world which DNS servers are authoritative for a domain. When you change DNS providers: moving from your registrar's nameservers to Cloudflare, AWS Route 53, etc.: you're updating the NS records at the registrar level. The new nameservers must be live before traffic shifts.

When to check NS records

• You just changed DNS providers and need to confirm the new nameservers are live
• You suspect a domain has been hijacked (stolen via NS change at the registrar)
• You're auditing which DNS provider a domain uses
• A DNS change you just made isn't taking effect: first thing to check is whether you're editing the right zone

Reading the results

Each NS row shows a nameserver hostname like ns1.cloudflare.com. Most domains have 2–6 NS records for redundancy; the order doesn't matter. The nameservers should match what your DNS provider's dashboard shows, and they should match what the registrar shows in the WHOIS record.

Common errors and pitfalls

• "Lame delegation": the parent's NS records (set at the registrar) don't match what the zone itself publishes, or one of the listed nameservers doesn't actually answer authoritatively. Causes intermittent failures.
• Old nameservers still listed: after migrating DNS providers, the registrar's NS records sometimes get only partially updated. Check both the parent (via this lookup) and the registrar's own dashboard.
• Long TTL means slow change: registrar-level NS TTLs are often 24–48 hours, so moving DNS providers always takes a day or two before every resolver sees the change.
• NS pointing to a nameserver that has no glue: if you delegate to ns1.example.com but never publish A records for that hostname (or its glue), resolvers can't find it.

FAQ

Why do NS changes take so long to propagate?

NS records at the registrar level (the "delegation" from the TLD) often have TTLs of 24–48 hours. That's why moving DNS providers commonly takes a day or two before every resolver in the world sees the new nameservers.

Should all NS records agree?

Yes. The NS records published by the parent (registrar) and the NS records published by the zone itself should match. Mismatches ("lame delegation") cause intermittent resolution failures.

How many NS records should I have?

Most registrars require at least 2; most DNS providers give you 4. Five or six is the practical upper limit: more than that and the response gets large enough to cause TCP fallback.

Can NS records point to a hostname in the same domain?

Yes: that's called "in-bailiwick" delegation. example.com can have NS records pointing to ns1.example.com. In that case the parent (TLD) zone also publishes "glue" A records so resolvers can find the nameserver without a chicken-and-egg lookup.

Background reading

See DNS zones for delegation theory and the DNS Records Explained guide for context.