Category: Domains & DNS • Est. reading time: 2 minutes
Changing your nameservers is how you point a domain to a new home. It tells the internet which company is in charge of your domain’s DNS, so when you move to new hosting, updating the nameservers is what makes your domain load your site in its new spot. If you are fuzzy on what a nameserver actually is, start with our guide “What Is a Nameserver?” and come back.
The process is the same everywhere: find the nameserver fields at whoever holds your domain, replace the old addresses with the new ones, and save. Only the dashboard around it changes.
First, Check Your Current Nameservers
Before you change anything, it helps to see where your domain points now. The quickest way that works for any domain is a public lookup: enter your domain at dnschecker.org (or any WHOIS lookup tool) and it will show the nameservers currently on record, no matter who your domain is registered with. If your domain is registered with us, you can also see them in your client portal under Domains.
How to Prepare
Have your two new nameserver addresses ready. Your host provides these, and they usually look like ns1.yourhost.com and ns2.yourhost.com. Changing your nameservers also moves where your DNS records are managed, so if you run email or other services on the domain, confirm those are set up in the new location before you switch. When in doubt, ask us first.
At Ally Drez (Your Client Portal)
If your domain is registered with us, you can update its nameservers right in your client portal.
- Log in at store.allydrez.com.
- Open the Domains menu and choose My Domains.
- Click the domain you want to change to open its management page.
- In the domain’s left-hand menu, choose Manage Nameservers.
- Select Use custom nameservers, enter the addresses your host gave you, and click Change Nameservers.
One note: the portal can only push nameserver changes for domains registered through us. If your domain lives at another registrar, make the change there instead, using one of the guides below.
At GoDaddy
GoDaddy keeps its own help page updated, and we recommend following it so you always have the latest screens: see GoDaddy’s official guide, Change my domain nameservers.
The short version: sign in, open your Domain Portfolio, select your domain, open DNS and then Nameservers, choose “I’ll use my own nameservers,” enter the two addresses from your host, and save.
At Namecheap
Namecheap also keeps a current help page, linked here: Namecheap’s official guide, How to Change DNS for a Domain.
The short version: sign in, open Domain List, click Manage next to your domain, find the Nameservers section, switch it to Custom DNS, enter the two addresses from your host, and click the green checkmark to save.
Then Wait for Propagation
Nameserver changes are not instant. They can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to spread across the internet, so do not panic if your site does not switch over right away. You can track progress at dnschecker.org.
Would you rather we handle it? Point your domain our way and we will take it from there, or we will make the change for you. Reach us at support@allydrez.com or 1-321-209-2004.