NS Lookup
Look up nameserver (NS) records for any domain to find its authoritative DNS servers.
About NS Records
NS (Nameserver) records specify which DNS servers are authoritative for a domain. These are the servers that hold the zone's definitive records and answer queries for the domain. When you change your domain's DNS provider or hosting, you update the NS records at your registrar.
How NS records work
The global DNS system uses a hierarchy of NS records. The root zone delegates to TLD servers (e.g. .com nameservers), which in turn delegate to your domain's authoritative nameservers via your registrar's glue records. When a resolver looks up example.com, it follows this delegation chain to reach your authoritative nameservers.
Typical NS record patterns
- Cloudflare —
ns1.cloudflare.com,ns2.cloudflare.com - Amazon Route 53 —
ns-NNN.awsdns-NN.com/net/org/co.uk(four nameservers) - Google Cloud DNS —
ns-cloud-XX.googledomains.com - GoDaddy / most registrars — Include the registrar name in the nameserver hostname
What NS records don't do
NS records delegate authority — they do not control where the website actually points. After delegation, all records (A, MX, CNAME, etc.) must be managed at the authoritative nameservers identified by the NS records. Updating NS records at your registrar triggers a 24–48 hour propagation window while the change spreads through the global DNS hierarchy.