What Is a DNS NS Record? Function, Setup, and Comparison
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Last Updated: Reading Time: 6 min
Key Takeaways
- NS records define which nameservers are responsible for managing a domain’s DNS data. Without them, your website, email, and other services may become unreachable.
- NS records don’t store DNS data—they direct queries to where that data lives.
- Accurate and up-to-date NS records ensure reliability and security. Misconfigured or outdated NS records can lead to service outages, email delivery issues, or even DNS hijacking.
- Whether creating, updating, or delegating for subdomains, using the right tools, like your DNS dashboard or PowerDMARC’s solutions, can help you maintain domain resilience and control.
Every time you visit a website, whether it’s to check your email, shop online, or scroll through social media, you’re relying on the Domain Name System (DNS) to connect you to the right place.
Behind the scenes, a vast and intricate network translates human-friendly domain names into machine-readable IP addresses, quietly directing internet traffic worldwide. One critical piece of this digital puzzle is the NS record, a type of DNS record that tells the internet which name servers are responsible for your domain.
It may seem minor, but a single misconfiguration in an NS record can make your website unreachable—or worse, open the door to DNS hijacking and outages. That’s why securing and correctly configuring NS records is a cornerstone of your domain’s availability and integrity.
Solutions like PowerDMARC help organizations safeguard this essential layer of their infrastructure, ensuring reliability, resilience, and trust in the digital experience.
What is an NS Record?
An NS record (Name Server record) is a type of DNS (Domain Name System) record that specifies which nameservers are authoritative for a given domain. In simpler terms, it tells the internet where to go to find the DNS information for a specific domain name.
A nameserver is a specialized server that stores DNS records, including the IP addresses of websites (A records), mail server settings (MX records), and other technical details. The NS record doesn’t contain this information itself—it simply directs DNS queries to the correct nameservers that do.
Here’s an example of how an NS record might look:
website.com. 3600 IN NS ns1.nameserver.com
website.com. 3600 IN NS ns2.nameserver.com
In this example:
- website.com is the domain
- 3600 is the Time to Live (TTL), specifying how long the record can be cached
- IN stands for “Internet”
- The final part lists the authoritative nameservers
The NS record is foundational to the DNS hierarchy as it ensures that domain names can be resolved into IP addresses by pointing to the right servers that manage DNS data.
What Does an NS Record Do?
An NS record plays a critical role in how the Internet locates and loads websites. When a user types a domain like website.com into their browser, the DNS system looks up the NS record to determine which nameservers are in charge of that domain. It then queries those nameservers to retrieve the actual DNS records, like the A record that holds the website’s IP address or MX records for email routing.
In effect, the NS record acts as a pointer. It doesn’t contain DNS data itself; it tells the system where to find that data.
NS records are typically managed through your DNS hosting provider. This may be the same company as your domain registrar, but not always. Most domains use two or more NS records for redundancy, so if one nameserver is down, another can still respond to DNS queries and keep your website or email online.
Here’s another example:
website.com. 3600 IN NS ns1.hostingprovider.com
website.com. 3600 IN NS ns2.hostingprovider.com
If your NS records are misconfigured—say, pointing to inactive or incorrect nameservers, your domain may become unreachable. Web traffic won’t know where to go, emails may bounce, and services tied to your domain can fail. That’s why accurate and up-to-date NS records are essential for keeping your domain accessible and functioning properly.
How Do NS Records Work?
Let’s say you want to visit [example.com](https://www.example.com). Your computer will first look up the IP address of that domain by querying a DNS server (usually provided by your ISP). The DNS server will then return the IP address of example.com’s nameservers, which are responsible for managing all records related to that domain. The name servers’ job is to keep track of all records associated with example.com: its A record (IP address), MX records (mail server), NS records (name server), TXT records (textual data), CNAME records (aliases), etc.
When you visit [example.com](https://www.example.com) in your browser, your computer will query one of example’s name servers for this information again before displaying it on your screen!
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How to Create a DNS NS Record?
Creating an NS record is a straightforward process, but it typically requires access to the platform where your domain’s DNS is managed. This is usually your domain registrar (like GoDaddy, Namecheap) or a DNS hosting provider (like Cloudflare, AWS Route 53, or your web hosting company).
Before you can add or update NS records, make sure:
- You have access to your domain’s DNS management settings
- You know the fully qualified domain names (FQDNs) of the authoritative nameservers (e.g., ns1.websitedns.com)
- The nameservers you’re pointing to are already properly configured and able to handle DNS queries
Steps to create NS records
- Log in to your domain registrar or DNS hosting provider’s dashboard
- Navigate to the DNS Management or Zone File Settings for your domain
- Locate the section where you can manage NS records
- Click Add Record (or Edit, if you’re updating existing NS records)
- Enter the following information:
- Name/Host: Usually left blank or set as @ to indicate the root domain.
- Type: Choose NS
- Value/Target: Enter the nameserver’s domain name (e.g., ns1.dnsprovider.com)
- TTL: Use the default value or adjust based on your needs
- Save the changes
- Repeat the process for at least one additional NS record (for redundancy)
Note: It may take time (up to 48 hours) for changes to propagate. Verify your new NS records using DNS lookup tools like dig, nslookup, or online DNS checkers.
NS Records vs Other DNS Records
DNS records serve different purposes in managing how domain names work. NS records specify which nameservers are authoritative for a domain—they determine who answers DNS queries. Other DNS records define what information is returned when those queries are made. Here’s a comparison of NS records with other common DNS record types:
| DNS Record | Purpose | Function |
| NS | Specifies authoritative nameservers | Points to the servers that handle all DNS queries for the domain |
| A | Maps a hostname to an IPv4 address | Returns the IPv4 address of a domain or subdomain |
| AAAA | Maps a hostname to an IPv6 address | Returns the IPv6 address of a domain or subdomain |
| CNAME | Creates an alias for another domain name | Redirects one domain name to another canonical name |
| MX | Specifies mail servers for the domain | Directs email to the correct mail server |
| TXT | Holds arbitrary text information | Used for verification, security (SPF, DKIM), and other metadata |
Final Thoughts
NS records are a fundamental part of the DNS infrastructure, directing internet traffic by specifying which nameservers are responsible for managing a domain’s DNS information. Without correctly configured NS records, a domain cannot function properly, leading to website downtime, email failures, and other connectivity issues that impact your online presence.
Regularly monitoring and managing your NS records helps ensure your domain remains accessible and secure. Tools like PowerDMARC simplify this process by offering easy DNS management and helping protect your domain from DNS-related threats, so you can maintain a reliable and safe online presence. Book a demo today!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the structure of an NS record?
An NS record includes the domain name, TTL, record type (NS), and the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the authoritative nameserver.
Can you have multiple NS records?
Yes, most domains have multiple NS records to provide redundancy and ensure availability if one nameserver goes down.
What is the TTL of an NS record?
TTL defines how long the NS record is cached by DNS resolvers before it must be refreshed; it typically ranges from minutes to hours, commonly set to 3600 seconds (1 hour) or more.
Domain & Email Security Expert at PowerDMARC
Ahona is the Marketing Manager at PowerDMARC, with 5+ years of experience in writing about cybersecurity topics, specializing in domain and email security. Ahona holds a post-graduation degree in Journalism and Communications, solidifying her career in the security sector since 2019.
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