How to Change Nameservers
Change a domain’s authoritative nameservers in the registrar account using the complete set assigned by the destination DNS provider. Prepare the new zone and check DNSSEC before saving. Verify delegation, website and mail after caches refresh; timing depends on provider publication and TTLs. Changing nameservers is not the same as transferring the domain registration.
For domain owners moving authoritative DNS while preserving website, mail and DNSSEC records rather than changing individual address records.
knowledge
- Read time
- 4 min
- Sections
- 6
- Updated
- 14 Nov 2026
- Written by
- WebJi® team
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026.
Where do you change nameservers?
Nameservers are the hostnames a registry publishes so the internet knows which DNS service holds this domain. You change them in the registrar account, where the name was bought and where renewal is paid. A hosting panel can show the pair to paste. It cannot move the registry delegation when the domain is registered somewhere else.
A WHOIS lookup shows the registrar when you are not sure who holds the name. Microsoft 365, a website builder, and cPanel can store records. Those screens do not replace the registrar's nameserver field unless that company is also the registrar.
Setting a computer to 8.8.8.8 only changes that computer's resolver. It does not move a domain, and it is not this task.
| Job | Where you do it | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Change nameservers | The registrar | Which DNS host answers for the whole domain |
| Edit one record | The DNS host the nameservers already use | An A, MX, or TXT row. The nameservers stay |
| Transfer the domain | The new registrar, with an auth code | The registrar account. Not required for a DNS move |
- Change nameservers at the registrar when the whole DNS host must move.
- Edit A, MX, or TXT at the current DNS host when one record is wrong.
- Transfer the domain only when the registrar account itself must move.
What should you copy before you save?
Copy the destination pair from the new host before you open the registrar. Use the complete nameserver set supplied for the destination service. Do not infer WebJi® nameservers from an example; confirm the values assigned to the account. Read the welcome email, or find the nameservers in cPanel, and type the hostnames that screen shows.
Copy the live zone if the site or mail must keep working. Write down the A record, the MX records, and the TXT records for SPF, DKIM, and verification. The new DNS host must already have those rows. A nameserver change does not move them for you.
If the domain is registered with WebJi®, the nameserver fields sit in the client area on domain registration. Hosting is a separate service. Email support@webji.services if those fields are locked.
Check DNSSEC before changing the authoritative service. A parent DS record tied to the old provider’s signing keys can cause validation failure at the new provider. The Cloudflare DNSSEC guide documents both a coordinated signed migration and a staged transition with DS-cache expiry. Follow the actual providers’ process rather than disabling protection blindly.
How do you replace the nameservers?
Stop when a public lookup shows only the new pair. Until then, do not delete the old zone.
- Sign in at the registrar the WHOIS record names. Open the domain and find Nameservers, DNS, or Name Servers.
- Choose custom or external nameservers when the screen defaults to the registrar's own DNS.
- Replace every hostname with the new pair. Delete leftovers from the old pair. The required count and validation rules depend on the provider and registry.
- Save and note the time. Complete any email confirmation, or the change will not publish.
- Leave renewal and the registrar lock alone unless the screen blocks the edit until you unlock the domain.
At BigRock and other Indian registrars the labels differ. The action is the same: replace the pair and save. Do this only on a domain you control.
How do you change nameservers at GoDaddy?
Sign in at GoDaddy, open My Products, and choose the domain. Open DNS or Domain settings, then Nameservers, then Change. Choose the option to enter your own nameservers. Type the host's pair, remove any default hostnames that remain, and save.
WordPress does not ship nameservers for GoDaddy. The company that hosts the WordPress site gives you the pair, and you paste that pair here. A plugin inside WordPress cannot update the registrar.
GoDaddy may email you to confirm, or it may hold the change for a short time. Wait until that finishes, then check from a network you do not use all day. WebJi® is not GoDaddy.
How long does a nameserver change take?
Many networks show the new nameservers within a few hours. Some keep the old answer for up to 48 hours. You cannot clear every ISP cache. Lowering TTL the day before helps records inside the old zone. It does not make every resolver drop the old nameserver hostnames at once.
A dig NS lookup, or the steps to check the DNS records, should list only the new pair. If one resolver still shows the old pair and another shows the new pair, the save worked and you are waiting on caches.
What if the site or email breaks?
If the site loads the old host, check DNS caching, the authoritative zone, browser caching and the web-server configuration before changing records again. New records belong only at the DNS host the new pair points to.
Missing address records can prevent access, but a blank page also needs application and web-server diagnosis. Add those at the new DNS host, then wait for that record's TTL.
Mail fails when MX, SPF, and DKIM stayed on the old nameservers. Recreate them at the new DNS host. If Microsoft 365 sends the mail, those rows have to exist before you cut over, or the inbox stops while caches expire.
One hostname, a typo, or a pair that is not answering yet looks like a down site. If you saved the old pair and the new zone is not ready, put the previous nameservers back, fix the zone, and try again.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change my domain nameservers?
Sign in at the registrar, open the domain, and replace the nameserver hostnames with the new pair. Save, then confirm a public lookup shows only that pair. The hosting panel is where you read the pair, not where the registry is updated, unless the host is also the registrar.
How do I update nameservers on GoDaddy?
In My Products, open the domain, then Nameservers, then Change. Enter your own nameservers, remove the old hostnames, and save. Use the pair from the host of the site, including a WordPress host. There is no separate WordPress nameserver brand to type at GoDaddy.
How long do nameserver changes take?
Often a few hours, and sometimes up to 48 hours. When some networks show the new pair and others still show the old pair, the registrar has published the change and the rest is cache.
Will my website or email go down?
Preloading the correct DNS records reduces risk, but the destination hosting, certificates and DNSSEC chain must also be ready. Check both website and mail from independent connections. A nameserver rollback is not instant because resolvers can retain cached delegation and records.
Can I change nameservers without transferring the domain?
Yes. A nameserver change leaves the domain at the same registrar and on the same renewal. A transfer moves the registrar account and needs an auth code. Do not start a transfer when you only need a new DNS host.
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026.
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