What Is Nameserver?
A nameserver is a server that holds DNS records for domains and answers queries about those records. When someone types your domain name, nameservers are what translate it into the IP address where your website (or redirect) lives.
Why It Matters
Nameservers are the foundation of DNS. They’re the actual servers that store your A records, CNAME records, MX records, and all other DNS data. When you “change DNS records” in your registrar dashboard, you’re editing records on your nameservers.
For domain forwarding, you change records on your nameservers — you don’t change the nameservers themselves.
How It Works
Every domain has NS records that point to its nameservers:
example.com NS ns1.registrar.com
example.com NS ns2.registrar.comThese nameservers answer all DNS queries for your domain — A records, CNAME records, MX records, SRV records, and more. When a browser needs to find example.com, the DNS resolution chain eventually reaches your nameservers, which respond with the A record IP address.
Common Nameserver Providers
| Registrar | Default Nameservers |
|---|---|
| Namecheap | dns1.registrar-servers.com |
| GoDaddy | ns1.domaincontrol.com |
| Cloudflare | name.ns.cloudflare.com |
| Porkbun | curitiba.ns.porkbun.com |
| Google Domains | ns-cloud-*.googledomains.com |
How Domain Forward Handles This
Domain Forward works with every nameserver provider. You don’t need to transfer nameservers or change NS records. Just log into your current registrar’s DNS management, update the A record and CNAME record, and Domain Forward handles the rest. See our DNS setup guide.
Related Terms
Related Features
Frequently
asked questions
No. Keep your current nameservers (from your registrar). You only need to update specific DNS records (A and CNAME) within your existing nameserver setup.
A registrar is where you buy and manage domain ownership. A nameserver is where your domain's DNS records are hosted. Often the same company provides both (e.g., Namecheap, GoDaddy), but they can be separate.
For redundancy. If ns1 goes down, ns2 still answers queries. Most domains have 2-4 nameservers, and DNS requires at least 2.
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