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NS Lookup (Nameserver Lookup)

Enter a domain to see its nameservers and understand which DNS provider manages it.

Server processing — your query is handled securely on our servers.

How to use NS Lookup (Nameserver Lookup)

The NS Lookup retrieves the authoritative name servers for a domain — the DNS servers that hold the master copy of its records and answer queries about it. The name servers are where a domain’s DNS truly lives, so identifying them is the starting point for any DNS troubleshooting, for confirming a domain points at the right DNS provider, or for verifying that a migration between providers has completed. Use this tool to see exactly which name servers a domain delegates to and to check that they agree with what you configured at your registrar.

  1. Enter the domain whose name servers you want to find.
  2. Click Lookup to query its NS records.
  3. Read the list of authoritative name servers returned.
  4. Confirm they match your intended DNS provider.
  5. During a migration, watch for the new servers to appear.

Authoritative name servers explained

A domain’s NS records, set at the registrar, delegate authority to specific name servers that hold the zone’s real records — the A, MX, TXT and other entries that make the domain work. When any resolver needs an answer about the domain, it ultimately asks one of these authoritative servers. Domains list at least two for redundancy, often on separate networks, so the domain keeps working if one fails. Confirming the NS records point at the right provider is the first thing to check when DNS behaves unexpectedly.

Name servers during a migration

Changing DNS providers means updating the NS records at your registrar to the new provider’s servers. Because the old records are cached around the internet, the change does not take effect everywhere at once; for a period some resolvers still ask the old servers while others ask the new. The safe practice is to recreate all your records at the new provider before switching the NS records, so whichever server a resolver reaches returns correct answers. This lookup lets you watch the delegation flip from old to new as the change propagates.

NS record essentials
AspectDetail
Where setAt the registrar
Minimum countTwo, for redundancy
Points toThe authoritative DNS servers

Glossary

NS record
A DNS record delegating a domain to its authoritative name servers.
Authoritative name server
A server holding the master copy of a domain’s DNS records.
Delegation
Assigning responsibility for a domain’s DNS to specific name servers.
Registrar
Where NS records are set for a domain.
Zone
The collection of DNS records an authoritative server holds for a domain.

Related reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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Why use NS Lookup (Nameserver Lookup)?

  • Real-time DNS lookups using live resolver queries
  • Supports IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
  • No software to install — runs entirely in the browser
  • Results include TTL values and record priority

Common use cases

  • Verify DNS propagation after updating nameservers
  • Check MX records when troubleshooting email delivery
  • Look up SPF/DKIM/DMARC records for email security audits
  • Test whether a SSL certificate is valid and up to date
  • Find the IP address behind a domain name

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