Nameserver Checker

Free nameserver checker. Find a domain's nameservers and see which DNS provider manages them, read live from DNS. No account needed.

Nameserver checker result: example.com uses ns1 and ns2 at cloudflare.com, identifying Cloudflare as its DNS provider

3 free checks per day. No signup needed.

How the provider is identified

This tool looks up a domain's NS records live via DNS-over-HTTPS, then matches the nameserver hostnames against known DNS providers, Cloudflare, Amazon Route 53, GoDaddy, Namecheap, and dozens more. If the nameservers don't match a recognized provider, they're still shown in full, just without a label, rather than guessed at.

How to check a domain's nameservers

  1. 1Enter the domain (for example, example.com) and run the check.
  2. 2We read the domain's NS records live and match the hostnames to a known DNS provider.
  3. 3You get the exact nameservers and, where recognizable, who manages the domain's DNS.

How nameservers delegate DNS

How nameservers delegate DNS: the registrar sets NS records that delegate the domain to a DNS provider, whose nameservers answer for it

At the registrar, a domain's NS records point to a DNS provider. Those nameservers are then the authority for the domain: they hold the A, MX, TXT, and other records that decide where the site and its mail actually go. Checking the nameservers tells you who is really in control of a domain's DNS.

Nameservers vs. DNS records

Nameservers decide which provider answers for a domain, while the DNS records at that provider decide where traffic and mail go

They are easy to confuse. Nameservers choose the provider that answers for a domain; the DNS records living at that provider choose where traffic and mail go. Move the nameservers and you move the whole zone to a new provider; edit a record and you change one destination within the current provider.

Frequently asked

What are nameservers?

The servers a domain's registry points to for DNS answers. Whoever operates them controls every DNS record for the domain, including where it points, where its email goes, and who can issue certificates for it.

Why would I need to know who manages a domain's nameservers?

Useful when taking over an existing domain, diagnosing why a DNS change isn't taking effect, or verifying a domain is actually pointed at the provider you think it is.

How do I find a domain's nameservers?

Enter the domain above and run the check. This nameserver checker reads the domain's NS records live and lists the exact nameserver hostnames, and identifies the DNS provider behind them where the names are recognizable.

How do I change a domain's nameservers?

Nameservers are changed at your registrar, in the domain's DNS or nameserver settings, not here. After you change them, allow time for the change to propagate before the new provider fully takes over answering for the domain.

What happens when nameservers change?

Changing nameservers hands the whole DNS zone to a new provider. Until the change propagates (up to a couple of days), some visitors may still be answered by the old provider, so keep both sets of records in place during a migration.

Related tools: DNS Lookup ·DNS Propagation Checker

Nameserver and DNS changes are how domains get hijacked.

Checking once is a snapshot. Expiroo watches a domain's nameservers and DNS for unexpected changes and alerts you by email, Telegram, WhatsApp, or webhook when who answers for it changes.

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