What Is an NS Record?

Last updated October 27, 2026

Table of Contents

• What is an NS record?
• How NS Records drive DNS resolution (delegation in action)
• DNSimple’s role and your domain’s NS records
• Managing NS records: directing your domain’s authority
• Have more questions?

What is an NS record?

An NS record (record type 2), short for Name Server record, is a fundamental type of DNS record that specifies the authoritative name servers for a domain. Its primary purpose is delegating DNS authority from one set of name servers to another, forming the backbone of how the internet’s Domain Name System operates.

NS records tell recursive DNS resolvers where to find the authoritative source of information for a particular domain. They act as signposts in the DNS hierarchy, directing queries to the correct servers.

How NS Records drive DNS resolution (delegation in action)

The internet’s DNS functions like a distributed phone book, structured in a hierarchy. When you type a domain name into your browser, like www.example.com, the DNS resolution process is as follows:

1. Your resolver queries a root name server.
2. The root name server directs it to the Top-Level Domain (TLD) name servers (e.g., .COM, .ORG, etc.).
3. The TLD name servers provide the NS records for example.com. These NS records point to the authoritative name servers designated for example.com (possibly DNSimple’s name servers). This step is called delegation.
4. Your resolver queries one of these authoritative name servers (e.g., DNSimple’s).
5. DNSimple’s authoritative name servers provide the specific A, AAAA, MX, or other records for www.example.com.

To learn more about how DNS works, take a look at our How DNS Works web comics or What Is DNS? support article.

DNSimple’s role and your domain’s NS records

When you delegate a domain to DNSimple, the TLD authorities (like the .COM registry) place NS records for your domain in their name servers that point directly to DNSimple’s name servers. For example, for dnsimple.com, the .COM name servers contain entries similar to these, delegating authority to us:

dnsimple.com.   172800  IN  NS  ns1.dnsimple-edge.com.
dnsimple.com.   172800  IN  NS  ns2.dnsimple-edge.net.
dnsimple.com.   172800  IN  NS  ns3.dnsimple-edge.io.
dnsimple.com.   172800  IN  NS  ns4.dnsimple-edge.org.

These records indicate DNSimple is responsible for all DNS lookups for dnsimple.com.

With DNS hosting at DNSimple, we automatically publish the necessary NS records in your zone to indicate DNSimple is authoritative for your domain. They appear in the record editor as system records, marked with a system record icon, and list either our default name servers or your vanity name servers (if you have them configured).

Important considerations and restrictions

System-managed NS records: You cannot edit or delete the NS records that DNSimple publishes for your zone in the record editor. Their Edit and Delete actions are disabled, with the note “System records are managed by DNSimple and cannot be edited or deleted.” To change them, use the Zone NS records card described below.

Changing domain delegation at the registrar level: To change which DNS provider is authoritative for your entire registered domain (e.g., to stop using DNSimple for DNS and switch to another provider), this action is performed at your domain registrar.

The specification for the DNS NS record is formally defined in RFC 1035, Section 3.3.11.

Managing NS records: directing your domain’s authority

When it comes to managing the authoritative name servers for your domain, the process primarily involves updating the delegation at your domain registrar. DNSimple acts as both a domain registrar and a DNS hosting provider, which affects where you make these changes.

To use DNSimple’s name servers (delegate to DNSimple)

If DNSimple is your domain registrar: Update your domain’s name servers directly within your DNSimple account. This points your domain to DNSimple’s authoritative name servers.

If another registrar holds your domain: Log in to your account at that registrar, and update your domain’s name servers, pointing them to DNSimple’s name servers (e.g., ns1.dnsimple-edge.com, ns2.dnsimple-edge.net, etc.).

To delegate to another DNS provider

If DNSimple is your domain registrar: Update your domain’s name servers within your DNSimple account, and enter the name servers of the other DNS provider.

To change the NS records inside your zone

The NS records DNSimple publishes inside your zone are separate from the delegation at the registry. You can change them from the Zone NS records card on the domain’s DNS tab, for advanced setups such as secondary DNS with another provider. See Updating Zone NS Records for a Hosted Domain.

To delegate a subdomain

You can also add NS records for a subdomain (for example, dev.example.com) in the record editor, to delegate that subdomain to other name servers while DNSimple keeps answering for the rest of your domain. See Adding NS Records for a Subdomain.

Have more questions?

If you have additional questions or need any assistance with your NS records, just contact support, and we will be happy to help.