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In Namecheap, go to Domain List → Manage → Nameservers, select the mode your DNS or hosting provider requires, enter provider-supplied hostnames if you choose CustomDNS, and save with the green checkmark. Changing nameservers transfers authority for your domain’s DNS zone, so record your current website, email, verification and security records first: Namecheap warns that records are not copied automatically between custom nameservers and Namecheap defaults.
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What changing nameservers actually does
A nameserver is the service that publishes the authoritative DNS records for a domain. Those records tell browsers where a website is hosted, tell mail systems where to deliver email, and support services such as domain verification, security policies and subdomains.
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This is different from changing an individual A, CNAME, MX or TXT record. A record edit keeps the same authoritative DNS service. A nameserver change moves authority to another service.
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Decide whether you need a nameserver change
Use nameservers when another provider should manage the whole DNS zone
Choose a nameserver change when your hosting company, DNS provider, reseller plan, VPS setup or personal DNS service has given you authoritative nameserver hostnames and expects you to delegate the domain to them. In that arrangement, the other provider manages the zone and you edit records in its control panel.
Keep the current nameservers when you only need to point a service
If your existing website, email or other DNS entries must remain where they are, changing nameservers can replace the current DNS configuration. Namecheap specifically advises shared-hosting customers to consider updating DNS records instead when existing services or custom records must continue working. An A-record change can point a domain or host name to a new server without moving the whole zone.
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Editing a computer’s hosts file can make one device resolve a domain to a test server, but it does not change the public DNS zone. It is suitable for local preview or testing, not for publishing a live website.
Choose the right Nameservers option
Open the Nameservers selector only after you know who should operate authoritative DNS. Namecheap presents four choices.
| Option | When to choose it | Documented hostnames or requirement | Where records are managed |
|---|---|---|---|
| BasicDNS | Namecheap’s default DNS service. | dns1.registrar-servers.com and dns2.registrar-servers.com |
Namecheap Advanced DNS. Host-record editing is available for domains using BasicDNS. |
| Web Hosting DNS | A Namecheap shared-hosting plan. | dns1.namecheaphosting.com and dns2.namecheaphosting.com |
The hosting environment, commonly its cPanel or equivalent control panel, rather than the BasicDNS editor. |
| CustomDNS | A third-party host or DNS provider, reseller plan, VPS, dedicated server or personal DNS setup supplied nameservers. | Enter the provider’s hostnames in an ns1.example.tld format. If the provider also gives IP addresses, Namecheap says to enter only the hostnames in this field. |
The provider that supplied the custom nameservers. |
| PremiumDNS | The domain has a PremiumDNS subscription. | Use the PremiumDNS service associated with that subscription. | Namecheap’s PremiumDNS management tools. Advanced DNS editing is available for domains using PremiumDNS. |
The Advanced DNS editor is available only when the domain uses BasicDNS, FreeDNS or PremiumDNS. If the domain uses third-party nameservers or Namecheap hosting nameservers, manage records at that DNS provider or in the hosting control panel instead.
Prepare your DNS before saving
Nameserver changes can interrupt more than the homepage. Make an inventory of the current zone and compare it with the records required by the destination provider.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors- Record the current A and AAAA records for the root domain and any subdomains.
- Record CNAME records used for
www, app environments, content platforms or verification services. - Record every MX record and its priority so mail delivery can be recreated.
- Save TXT records for SPF, DKIM, DMARC, domain verification and other security policies.
- Record special records such as SRV or CAA entries if your services use them.
- Note forwarding rules, Dynamic DNS settings and email-forwarding arrangements that may depend on the current DNS service.
- Confirm that the destination provider has supplied all required nameservers and has created, or is ready to create, the matching zone.
Keep this inventory until the new DNS service is working and all website, email and verification checks pass. A screenshot alone may not be enough if you need to recreate a record precisely; copy the record name, type, value, priority and any TTL shown by the current provider.
Step-by-step: change nameservers in Namecheap
- Sign in to Namecheap. Use the account that controls the domain registration.
- Open Domain List. The link is in the left sidebar after sign-in.
- Click Manage beside the domain. Check the domain name carefully if several domains are listed.
- Find the Nameservers section. Open the selector and choose BasicDNS, Web Hosting DNS, CustomDNS or PremiumDNS according to the destination described above.
- Enter custom hostnames when required. For CustomDNS, enter each hostname supplied by the DNS or hosting provider, such as
ns1.example.tld. Do not replace a hostname with an IP address in this field when the provider supplied both; Namecheap says the nameserver field takes the hostnames. - Save with the green checkmark. Wait for Namecheap to confirm the setting has been accepted before leaving the page.
For a Namecheap shared-hosting plan, select Web Hosting DNS rather than manually entering unrelated custom values. For the default Namecheap DNS service, select BasicDNS. Select PremiumDNS only when the domain has that subscription.
What happens to your records and services
The old zone is not migrated for you
After the delegation changes, resolvers that have learned the new nameservers query the new provider. They do not ask the old provider to fill in missing records. If the new zone lacks an A or CNAME record, the website can stop resolving. If MX or authentication TXT records are missing, mail delivery or sending reputation can be affected.
Website traffic can split during the transition
Different networks may cache the old and new delegation for a while. Some visitors can reach the old destination while others reach the new one. Keep the old service available until the transition has completed and test from more than one network or device.
Email needs separate attention
Website DNS and mail DNS are independent records, but both move with the zone. Recreate MX records and the related SPF, DKIM and DMARC records at the destination provider before relying on the new delegation. A website that loads successfully does not prove that mail is configured.
Forwarding and Dynamic DNS may not survive CustomDNS
Namecheap’s API documentation warns that URL forwarding, email forwarding and Dynamic DNS do not work with custom nameservers. If you rely on one of those Namecheap services, verify whether the destination DNS provider offers an equivalent before switching.
Propagation: how long the change takes
Namecheap states that nameserver changes do not propagate instantly. Its general support guidance says local ISP caches may take up to 24 hours, and in rare cases longer, to update. Its shared-hosting guidance gives a broader worldwide window of up to 24–48 hours.
Propagation is a caching process, not a progress bar that Namecheap can complete manually. During the window, one resolver may return the previous nameservers while another has refreshed to the new set. Avoid repeatedly changing the setting during this period; each change can make diagnosis harder and introduce another cache interval.
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Use the waiting period to check the destination DNS zone, open the site from different connections, send and receive test messages, and verify any service that depends on a TXT or CNAME record. If a problem remains after the stated window, inspect the authoritative zone at the new provider rather than assuming the registrar setting is still wrong.
When the domain is registered elsewhere
Namecheap can change nameservers only for domains registered in the Namecheap account. If the domain is registered with another registrar, make the change in that registrar’s domain-management interface. Namecheap advises contacting that registrar for its exact instructions. The DNS concepts remain the same: choose the provider’s nameserver hostnames, preserve required records, and allow time for caches to refresh.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Personal nameservers and glue records
Operators of a personal DNS service may create nameservers such as ns1.example.tld that are inside the same domain they serve. Registering a personal nameserver at Namecheap creates glue records associating that nameserver with an IP address. That registration does not, by itself, delegate the domain to those nameservers.
You still have to set the domain’s Nameservers field to the personal nameserver hostnames. You must also operate reachable authoritative DNS servers at the associated addresses and publish a correctly configured zone there. Treat glue registration and delegation as two separate steps.
CustomDNS through the API
Namecheap’s API describes custom DNS as a comma-separated nameserver list. The same API guidance carries the forwarding and Dynamic DNS limitation described above. Whether you use the website or an API client, the values are nameserver hostnames supplied by the destination provider; the API format does not turn IP addresses into valid substitutes for those hostnames.
After an API change, apply the same operational checks as a dashboard change: confirm the account shows the intended nameserver set, verify the destination zone, and wait for resolver caches to refresh.
Troubleshooting common failures
The website is down after the change
- Confirm the new provider’s zone contains the root-domain A or AAAA record and the intended
wwwrecord. - Check that the nameserver hostnames were entered exactly as supplied, with no IP address substituted for a hostname.
- Remember that different networks can still have cached delegation during the 24-hour general or 24–48-hour shared-hosting window.
- If the old site must remain available, restore the required records at the new provider rather than adding them only to Namecheap’s old zone.
Email stopped arriving
- Recreate all MX records at the authoritative provider and preserve their priorities.
- Restore SPF, DKIM and DMARC TXT records required by the mail service.
- Check the mail provider’s own setup instructions for any verification CNAME or TXT records.
The Advanced DNS editor is unavailable
That is expected when the domain uses third-party or Namecheap hosting nameservers. Edit records at the active DNS provider or in the hosting control panel. Namecheap’s Advanced DNS editor is available for BasicDNS, FreeDNS and PremiumDNS domains.
Namecheap rejects the custom entry
Recheck the spelling and format of every hostname and use the provider’s exact values. CustomDNS expects nameserver hostnames; do not paste the accompanying IP addresses into the nameserver field. If the provider gave only an IP address and no hostname, request the correct authoritative nameserver names before proceeding.
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They were not necessarily deleted from the old service, but they are no longer authoritative once the delegation moves. Recreate the needed records at the new provider. This is why recording the zone before saving is essential.
Quick Recap
Verification checklist after the change
- The Nameservers section in Namecheap shows the intended mode and values.
- The destination provider shows the domain as added and authoritative.
- The root domain and
wwwresolve to the intended website. - Important subdomains resolve correctly.
- Inbound and outbound email tests succeed.
- TXT-based verification, SPF, DKIM and DMARC checks pass where applicable.
- Forwarding, Dynamic DNS or other dependent features have an approved replacement if CustomDNS disabled them.
- The old DNS service is retained until different networks consistently reach the new configuration.
Key decisions in one view
- Choose BasicDNS for Namecheap’s default DNS service.
- Choose Web Hosting DNS for a Namecheap shared-hosting plan.
- Choose CustomDNS when another provider supplied authoritative nameserver hostnames.
- Choose PremiumDNS only with a PremiumDNS subscription.
- Use individual record edits, such as an A record, when you need to point a service without replacing the whole DNS configuration.
- Back up the zone before any delegation change because records are not copied automatically.
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