An NS record (nameserver record) is a DNS resource record that delegates authority for a domain or zone to specific name servers. Every domain must have at least one NS record pointing to an authoritative name server; most domains have two or more for redundancy.
NS records appear in two places during resolution. The parent zone (e.g., at your registrar) publishes NS records that tell resolvers where to find answers for your domain. Your own authoritative zone also contains NS records pointing to itself—these are the "authoritative copy" that name servers use internally.
When a resolver looks up a domain, it follows the chain of NS records from the root servers down through each delegation level until it reaches your authoritative name servers, which then respond with A records, MX records, and other resource records.
Basic format:
example.com. 86400 IN NS ns1.example.com.
example.com. 86400 IN NS ns2.example.com.
A common issue: if your name server hostname lives within your own domain (e.g., ns1.example.com for example.com), your registrar must also publish "glue records" (A or AAAA records) in the parent zone to avoid a circular lookup. Mismatches between your registrar's NS records and the NS records in your zone file can cause intermittent resolution failures.
Use our DNS lookup tool to verify your NS records are resolving correctly across the internet.
NoteThe NS records inside your zone must match the delegation your registrar publishes. A mismatch — a "lame delegation" — causes intermittent resolution failures.