Nameserver Checker — find a domain's NS records
Find the authoritative nameservers (NS records) of any domain — often the quickest way to tell which DNS or hosting provider runs it.
How to read the result
- Nameservers
- The servers authoritative for the domain: the ones that answer when anything on the internet asks where this domain points. They are normally listed in pairs or more for redundancy.
- What they tell you
- The hostnames usually name the DNS provider outright, which is often the fastest way to identify who really controls a domain's records — the registrar, the host, a CDN, or a DNS specialist.
- Why there are usually two or more
- Redundancy. If one nameserver is unreachable the others still answer, which is why registries require at least two and most providers give you four.
- Glue records
- When a domain's nameservers live inside that same domain, the registry has to publish their addresses directly or the lookup would be circular. Those are glue records, and they are set at the registrar rather than in the zone.
Where this tool is wrong
Every check here reads one signal, and each has a blind spot worth knowing before you act on the answer.
- Nameservers say who answers DNS questions, not who runs the website. It is entirely normal for the two to be different companies, and changing one does not change the other.
- The delegation recorded at the registry and the NS records inside the zone can disagree. When they do, the domain is misconfigured in a way that works until it suddenly does not.
- Results are cached for an hour, so a recent change may not be visible yet.
Common questions
What is the difference between nameservers and hosting?
Nameservers answer the question "where is this domain?". Hosting is the machine that then serves the site. Pointing nameservers at a new provider moves DNS control; it does not move the website.
How long does a nameserver change take?
The registry usually publishes the change within minutes to a few hours, but resolvers worldwide keep the old answer cached until its TTL expires — commonly up to 48 hours. Plan the change with both old and new set up and serving.
Can I use nameservers from one company and hosting from another?
Yes, and it is extremely common. Many sites use a DNS provider for the records, a separate host for the site, and a third company as registrar.
Do nameservers affect site speed?
Only the first visit, and only slightly. DNS resolution happens once and is then cached for the TTL you set. A slow DNS provider costs milliseconds on a cold lookup, not on page loads.