Domain DNS guide

How to change nameservers safely

Nameservers decide where DNS records for your domain are managed. A wrong change can stop your website, email, or verification records from working, so prepare the new DNS zone before switching.

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Hostwover nameservers

ns1.hostwover.com
ns2.hostwover.com
ns3.hostwover.com
ns4.hostwover.com

Use Hostwover DNS

Select “Use Hostwover nameservers” when you want Hostwover DNS records in the dashboard to control the domain.

Use custom DNS

Select “Change nameservers” only after the other provider has an active DNS zone for the domain and all important records have been copied.

Before you save custom nameservers

1

Choose where DNS will be managed

Use Hostwover nameservers if you want to manage DNS records from your Hostwover dashboard. Use custom nameservers only when another hosting or DNS provider will manage the zone.

2

Create the DNS zone first

Before changing nameservers, add the domain to the new DNS provider and create the required A, CNAME, MX, TXT, and other records there.

3

Confirm the nameserver hostnames resolve

Each nameserver hostname should be active and reachable. If you use private child nameservers, create the required glue records at the registrar first.

4

Save the nameserver change

After saving, DNS propagation can take from a few minutes up to 24–48 hours depending on the registry, resolver cache, and TTL values.

Quick checklist

  • The domain exists in the destination DNS provider.
  • At least two valid nameservers are provided.
  • Website records point to the correct server IP address.
  • Email records, especially MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, are copied before switching.
  • Private nameservers have glue records configured.