NS Lookup
Enter a domain to see which nameservers are authoritative for it, their IP addresses, the zone's SOA settings and which DNS provider runs them. Queries go straight from your browser to a public DNS-over-HTTPS resolver.
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Enter a domain and click Find nameservers to see which DNS servers are authoritative for it.
How to use the NS Lookup
- Type a domain such as example.com. URLs and email addresses work too; the domain is taken from them.
- Click Find nameservers or press Enter.
- Read the summary: who hosts the DNS, how many nameservers there are and whether DNSSEC validated.
- Check the table for each nameserver's addresses and TTL, and the SOA block for zone timing values.
- Fix any warnings at your registrar (the NS delegation) or DNS host, then look it up again.
Nameservers of common DNS providers
When you move a domain's DNS, the new provider assigns nameservers that you then enter at your registrar. These are the typical patterns; always copy the exact names from your provider's dashboard, because many are assigned per account or per zone.
| DNS provider | Typical nameserver names | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare | ada.ns.cloudflare.com, bob.ns.cloudflare.com | Two first names, assigned per account |
| Amazon Route 53 | ns-123.awsdns-45.com plus .net, .org and .co.uk | Four names on four top-level domains per hosted zone |
| Google Cloud DNS | ns-cloud-a1.googledomains.com to a4 | Letter set (a–e) assigned per zone |
| Microsoft Azure DNS | ns1-01.azure-dns.com, .net, .org, .info | Four names per zone |
| GoDaddy | ns01.domaincontrol.com, ns02.domaincontrol.com | Numbers vary by account |
| Namecheap | dns1.registrar-servers.com, dns2.registrar-servers.com | Default for Namecheap BasicDNS |
| DigitalOcean | ns1.digitalocean.com to ns3 | Same three for all customers |
Delegation, glue and TTL in plain terms
- Two copies of the NS list exist. The registrar publishes your nameservers in the parent zone (for example .com), and your DNS host publishes them again inside your zone. Both should list the same servers; a mismatch is a common leftover after a migration.
- Glue records are needed only when the nameservers are inside the domain they serve (ns1.example.com for example.com). The registrar then also stores their IP addresses so resolvers can find them without a circular lookup.
- A lame delegation is a listed nameserver that does not answer for the zone, or does not exist. Resolvers retry other servers, so the site may still work but load more slowly; remove or fix the bad entry.
- Plan migrations around the TTL. Copy every record to the new provider first, switch nameservers at the registrar, and keep the old zone unchanged for at least 48 hours. Check the new records with the DNS Lookup and watch resolvers update with the DNS Propagation Checker.
Frequently asked questions
What is an NS record?
An NS (name server) record says which DNS servers hold the authoritative records for a domain. When someone visits your site, resolvers ask those servers for the A, MX, TXT and other records. The NS records are set at your registrar (the delegation in the parent zone, such as .com) and are also published inside your own zone.
How do I find out who hosts my DNS?
Look at the nameserver host names. Cloudflare uses names ending in ns.cloudflare.com, Amazon Route 53 uses awsdns-NN domains, Google Cloud DNS uses ns-cloud-*.googledomains.com, and GoDaddy uses domaincontrol.com. This tool recognizes more than 50 providers automatically. DNS hosting can differ from your registrar and your web host.
How many nameservers should a domain have?
At least two, on different machines, so the domain keeps working if one fails. Most providers give you two to four. Large anycast networks such as Cloudflare or Route 53 already spread each name across many locations, so two of their names are robust.
How long does a nameserver change take?
Changing nameservers at the registrar updates the parent zone within minutes to a few hours, but resolvers that cached the old NS records keep using them until the TTL expires. For .com and .net the delegation TTL is 48 hours, so allow up to two days and keep the old DNS zone running until then.
What is the SOA record?
The Start of Authority record describes the zone: the primary nameserver, the administrator's email (written with a dot instead of @), a serial number that increases with every change, and timers that tell secondary servers how often to refresh, how long to retry and when to expire their copy. Its last field is the TTL used for caching negative (not found) answers.
Why does a subdomain show the parent domain's nameservers?
Most subdomains such as www.example.com are just records inside the example.com zone and have no NS records of their own. The tool walks up to the zone that holds the NS records and shows those servers. If a subdomain is delegated to other nameservers, its own NS records are shown instead.
Is my lookup private?
The domain is sent directly from your browser to Cloudflare's or Google's public DNS-over-HTTPS resolver, the same kind of query your device makes when it opens a website. FreeToolCabin does not receive or store it.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.