What is a DNS NS Record?

DNS NS records are among the most crucial records used in the Domain Name System. They are so important that DNS resolution is impossible without them. In this article, we will learn what an NS record is, its appearance, and its functions, as well as related topics such as NS record lookup and management.

Definition of NS Record

NS record stands for “Name Server Record.” An NS record declares the Nameservers for a domain. 

A nameserver is a physical server that holds all the DNS records of a domain. When doing a DNS lookup, the final authority on a domain is always its authoritative nameserver.

What this means is that if a DNS request cannot be resolved by querying the root or TLD servers, then it must be queried of the nameservers. The nameservers will have the information about the domain that is being requested.

Format of NS Record

Now, let’s take a look at what an NS record looks like. It is similar to other record types in that it has a Time-to-Live (TTL) and a value. 

The table shows the format of an NS record for example.com. In this table, the information is clearly labeled, but let us explain what it means.

• The domain name is the name of the domain associated with this NS record.
• The TTL stands for Time To Live. It indicates the validity period of this record. This value is in seconds, so 15,635 equates to 4.3 hours.
• The class always has a default value of IN, which stands for "Internet." This indicates that this record pertains to an internet domain.
• The record name is NS, and that's it.
• The value indicates the nameserver with all the DNS records related to “example.com.” In this case, we have two nameservers, so there are two record values, which are “b.iana-servers.net.” and “a.iana-servers.net.” 

A domain typically has at least two NS records that define different nameservers. This is for redundancy and prevents DNS resolution failure if one nameserver goes offline.

The Function of NS Record

An NS record is stored on the very nameserver that it points to. Its sole purpose is to inform the DNS client which nameserver to query when searching for a domain. The first time a domain is looked up, the full DNS lookup process is performed to locate the nameserver where its DNS records are stored.

You can use NS records to designate different nameservers for your domain. For example, if you bought a domain from Google but decided to manage it using Cloudflare. Then, you would need to create NS records that designate Cloudflare nameservers as the authoritative servers for your domain.

How to Do NS Record Lookup

To do an NS record lookup, you can either use an online tool or the command prompt/terminal of your operating system. Let’s start with the online tool.

• NS Record Lookup With an Online Tool

There are plenty of online tools that can help you do DNS record lookups. For this article, we are going to use our very own NS lookup tool. 

• Open a browser on a device
• In the address bar, type https://whatsmydns.me/ns-lookup and press Enter.

• Once the page opens, input a domain name in the input field.
• Select which servers you want to check for the records.
• Click on the “NS lookup” button to start the lookup process.

You will receive an output like this.

In the image given, you can see the NS records for icaan.org. You can expect an output in the same format as this with any other domain as well.

As you can see, it is straightforward to perform an NS record lookup using an online tool. Another advantage of this approach is that it is platform-independent. Consider using this when you're on mobile or using an unconventional operating system.

• With Command Prompt and Terminal

In Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems, you can manually do a record lookup with the help of commands. Windows has a different command than Mac and Ubuntu Linux; therefore, this discussion will be divided into two parts: one for Windows and one for Mac and Ubuntu.

Doing NS Record Lookup In Windows with Command Prompt

• Start by opening the command prompt. You can either use the Windows search bar and type cmd to find it, or you can use the run menu (win+R) to open it.
• In the command prompt, type the following command.

nslookup -q=ns icaan.org

Replace the green text with the domain whose NS records you want to check.

• Press enter and you will see the following output. 

The record is present under the Non-authoritative answer. 

Doing NS Record Lookup In Mac/Ubuntu with Terminal

These two operating systems work with the same set of commands so we have bundled them together. You can start by opening the terminal.

• To open the terminal on Ubuntu, press “Ctrl+Alt+T.” To open the terminal on Mac, open the Spotlight search (command+space) and type terminal. Then, open the app.
• In the terminal, type the following command.

dig icaan.org ns

Replace the green text with a domain name of your choosing.

• You will get the following output

The NS records are given under the Answer section. Unlike the output in Windows, the records are given in the proper format, complete with TTL, Class, and Record name.

How to Add NS Records with Popular Domain Management Tools

NS records, along with SOA records, are the most critical records that need to be created for a domain. That’s why, if you are interested in making your website and becoming a webmaster, you should learn how to create and add these records.

Domain management tools and services are used to manage the records associated with a domain. Let’s check out three such services and how you can use them to add NS records.

How to Add an NS Record with Bluehost

Bluehost is a domain registration and web hosting company. You can create and add records for your domains that are registered with Bluehost. 

The steps for doing that are listed below.

• First, log in to your Bluehost Account Manager.
• In the Account Manager, you will find a navigation pane on the left side. Click on the Domains tab in this pane.
• In the domains tab, scroll down to find Advanced Tools. Click on the downward arrow to expand this section. 
• You will see the option to manage Nameservers and Advanced DNS Records. Click Manage next to the Advanced DNS records.
• In the Manage Advanced DNS Records page, you will see an Add Record button. Click it.
• A pop-up labeled "Add Advanced DNS Records" will appear. Here, choose the Record Type (NS). 
• In the value section, add the Bluehost nameservers (ns1.bluehost.com and ns2.bluehost.com).
• Add the remaining values, such as TTL and your domain name, for which you are creating the NS records. Click Add to create the record.

To edit an existing record, follow steps one to four. Then, scroll through the list of records until you find the one you want to edit. The record will have a pen icon on its right side. Click that to start editing it. 

How to Add NS Records with Hostinger

You can add NS records in Hostinger only if your domain points to the Hostinger nameservers. Hostinger does not manage the DNS records for domains that point to other nameservers. 

You can verify whether the domains are pointing to Hostinger nameservers by following this guide.

With that out of the way, let’s check out how you can create and add an NS record with Hostinger.

• Log in to your Hostinger account and navigate to the hPanel. Here, navigate to Domains.
• In the Domains section, go to the Domain Portfolio and find the domain whose NS record you want to create. Click on the Manage option next to it.
• In the left navigation panel, select DNS/Nameservers.
• Now, select the DNS Records tab.
• You will see a list of records for the domain. At the very top will be a portion for adding a new record. Fill out this portion. Put the Type as NS and then fill out the rest accordingly.
• Click the Add Record button to create the record.

To edit the record, follow steps one to four, then find the record you want to change. You will see an option to Edit or Delete the record. Click the edit option and change the record values. Then, follow step six, and your record will be updated.

How to Add an NS Record with GoDaddy

GoDaddy automatically creates NS records for your domain if it is using the GoDaddy nameservers. These records cannot be changed or edited. 

However, if you are using different nameservers, then you will need to create NS records that point to those servers. Here’s how you can do that.

• Log in to your Domain Portfolio.
• In the portfolio, select the domain whose NS records you want to create.
• In the Domain Settings menu, first select the DNS tab, and then select the DNS Records tab.
• Select Add New Record
• Make the type NS
• Add the name of your domain or subdomain. 
• In the Value section, add the name of the nameserver
• Set the TTL
• If you are adding multiple NS records, then select Add More Records
• Select Save to add a single record. Select Save All Records to add multiple records.

That concludes the tutorial on adding NS records using GoDaddy.

Conclusion

NS records are one of the most crucial record types. They tell the DNS which nameservers are authoritative for a domain. They have a similar format to other DNS records. We can look up NS records for any domain using online tools or by inputting specific commands in the command prompt or terminal. Finally, domain management tools let you create NS records for your domain using their GUIs.