How to Change Nameservers and Point Your Domain to a New Web Host

Nameservers define who manages your domain’s DNS zone and are responsible for mapping domain names to IP addresses. If you switch hosting providers, your website will only work once you point the domain.

This tutorial will explain how to point a domain to a different web host by changing the domain’s nameservers. This way, you can move your site to another hosting provider while keeping the old domain name.

How to Change Nameservers Video Tutorial

Want to watch a video instead? This video tutorial will teach you how to change nameservers at Hostinger and point a domain elsewhere.

How to Change Domain’s Nameservers

Log in to your domain registrar’s website
Look for the DNS management section
Locate the option to change your domain’s nameservers
Enter the new nameserver information provided by your web host or DNS provider
Save the changes and allow time for the DNS changes to propagate

Keep in mind that the exact process for changing nameservers may vary depending on your domain registrar. We’ll guide you through the procedures at different providers.

Why Change Nameservers for a Domain

One of the main reasons for changing nameservers is the switch to a different hosting provider. For example, if you’ve just moved your site to another hosting provider, the domain name might still be tied to the old hosting company and will not direct visitors to your website.

Make sure to check that your domain’s A records are pointing correctly after changing the nameservers.

How to Change Nameservers at Different Provider

To change domain nameservers, follow the two main steps:

Get the new nameserver values.
Apply the new nameserver values.

First, find a list of nameservers from the new hosting provider. This information is usually provided on the company’s documentation or in the post-purchase email. Contact your current hosting provider’s customer support team to help find the information if you need help.

The next step is to apply new nameservers. While registrar interfaces may differ, the whole process is quite similar and goes like this:

Log in to your domain registrar. In other words, this is the place where you bought the domain.
Look for the option to set the domain’s nameservers. Usually, you can find the needed settings in Domain Management or Domain Overview sections. From there, look for a button to Edit or Manage nameservers. You should see several fields, such as Nameserver 1 and Nameserver 2, that will most likely be filled with your current hosting provider’s default nameservers.
Delete any existing old nameservers and enter the new settings into the appropriate fields. For example, a nameserver that starts with ns1 should be filled into the Nameserver 1 field. The same process applies to ns2, ns3, or ns4 records.

Changing Nameservers in Hostinger

At Hostinger, easily change the NS records via the DNS Zone Editor.

Changing Nameservers in GoDaddy

To change the nameservers at GoDaddy:

Changing Nameservers in Namecheap

If you are using Namecheap, open the Domain List section:

Changing Nameservers in Google Domains

With Google Domains, open the main dashboard, and select the My domains section:

Changing Nameservers in Bluehost

At Bluehost, change nameservers by selecting the My Domains section.

Changing Nameservers in SiteGround

At SiteGround, select the Services→Domains section and hit the Manage button near your domain.

Steps to Take After Changing Nameservers

Once the nameservers are set, wait for the changes to take effect. This period is called worldwide DNS propagation and can take up to 24 hours. For domains using Hostinger nameservers, the propagation status per location can be monitored right in the hPanel.

In addition, users can easily check its progress with such tools as DNS Checker. Just paste in the domain, choose NS as the DNS record type, and click Search.

The majority of locations should display the new nameservers. If some locations are not showing new nameservers values even after 24 hours, try to flush the DNS cache.

Conclusion

Changing nameservers is one of the most important steps when switching your hosting provider and pointing the domain elsewhere.

In this tutorial, we’ve explained the different steps you need to take to change nameservers for the most popular hosting providers. Let’s recap the whole process once more:

Get the new nameserver values.
Apply the new nameservers at the current registrar.
Wait for the propagation process to conclude so that the website is accessible again.

We hope you found this tutorial useful. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

Tomas A.

Tomas provides top-notch technical advice on a daily basis to our valued customers. He also likes to create websites and do various coding side projects.

Ignas R.

Ignas takes great satisfaction in helping people tackle even the most complex technical issues. His current goal is to write easy-to-follow articles so that these issues will not happen at all. During his free time, Ignas likes to play video games and fix up things around his house.

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