How to Change Domain Nameservers to Point to Another Provider

Your website just went down during peak hours.

Or maybe your current hosting provider’s support hasn’t responded in three days. Perhaps you found better pricing elsewhere. Or faster servers closer to your Indian audience.

Whatever the reason, you’ve decided to switch hosting providers.

Good decision. But now comes the technical part: changing your domain nameservers.

And if you’ve never done this before? It feels scary. 

One wrong move and your website could vanish, your business emails might stop working, and customers won’t be able to reach you.

I get it. The stakes feel high.

But changing nameservers is straightforward. You just need to know the right steps.

And that’s exactly what I’m going to show you.

What Nameservers Are

Before we jump into changing them, let’s quickly clarify what nameservers actually do.

Nameservers are like traffic controllers for your domain.

When someone types your domain into their browser, nameservers tell the internet where to find your website. 

They store all your domain’s DNS records, including where your site is hosted, where emails should go, and more.

So, every domain must have nameservers. Without them, your domain doesn’t connect to anything. It’s just a registered name floating in cyberspace.

Why You May Need to Change Nameservers

Changing nameservers is something that comes by for a reason. For instance, let me share the most common scenarios I see in India.

• Your current hosting is slow: You’re losing customers because pages take forever to load. Maybe your server is located in the US or Europe, adding latency for Indian visitors. So, switching to an India-based provider with local nameservers solves this.
• You’re moving to better hosting: Found a provider with better features, pricing, or customer support. Smart move. Growth means upgrading your infrastructure.
• You want to use Cloudflare: Many Indian businesses now use Cloudflare for security and speed. That’s because Cloudflare nameservers offer DDoS protection and caching that makes sites load faster across India’s varied internet speeds.
• Combining services: Maybe you want website hosting with one provider but email with Google Workspace. Thus, using the right nameservers lets you split services while keeping everything under one domain.
• Your registrar isn’t your host: You bought your domain from BigRock, but you’re hosting with Truehost. If so, you need to update the nameservers to point to your hosting provider.
• Technical issues: Your current provider’s nameservers are unreliable, or DNS resolution is slow. Then, change is inevitable.

Each scenario here requires the same solution: a nameserver change.

And in India’s competitive market, where website speed and uptime directly impact your business, making this switch when you face any of the above is not a sin.

Information You Need Before Updating Nameservers

Don’t touch anything yet. First, gather the information you need. Otherwise, going in unprepared causes problems.

So, here’s what you need: 

• Get your new nameservers: Your new hosting provider will give you these. Usually two or more servers. Copy them exactly as provided. One typo means your domain won’t work.
• Document your current DNS records: This is critical. Before changing nameservers, screenshot or write down all your existing DNS records, including A records, MX records, CNAME records, and TXT records. 
• Know your domain registrar login: You’ll need access to wherever you registered your domain. So, find your login credentials before you start.
• Check your current nameservers: Know what they are now, as it helps with troubleshooting if something goes wrong.
• Timing matters: Don’t do this during peak business hours. For instance, if you run an e-commerce site that gets most traffic in the evenings, make the change early morning when traffic is low.
• Backup your website: Before any major change, back everything up, including files, databases, and everything. Just in case.

One more thing for Indian businesses: if you’re using payment gateways like Razorpay or Paytm with webhook URLs, make note of these. You might need to update them after the migration.

In short, preparation prevents panic.

How to Change Nameservers (Step-by-Step Guide)

Now for the actual process.

I’ll walk you through the general steps that work with most registrars in India. Yes, specific interfaces may vary slightly, but the concept remains the same.

Step 1: Log in to Your Domain Registrar

Go to wherever you registered your domain and log in with your credentials. Then, navigate to your domain management section. 

Of course, note that different registrars call it different things, such as:

• “My Domains”
• “Domain Manager”
• “Domain List”
• “Manage Domains”

So, locate any of the the above and click through.

Step 2: Select Your Domain

If you have multiple domains, make sure you select the correct one.

To that, click on the domain you want to modify. This usually takes you to a domain settings or management page.

Step 3: Find the Nameserver Settings

Look for options like:

• “Nameservers”
• “DNS Management”
• “Name Servers”
• “Change Nameservers”

It’s usually pretty obvious. Registrars know this is a common task, so the interface might look different, but the section exists.

Step 4: Choose Custom Nameservers

You’ll typically see options like:

• “Use default nameservers”
• “Use custom nameservers”
• “Custom DNS”

Here, select the custom option. You’re not using the registrar’s default servers. You’re pointing to your hosting provider’s servers.

Step 5: Enter Your New Nameservers

Remember those nameservers your new host provided? Time to use them.

Enter them exactly as given:

• ns1.yournewhostingprovider.co.in
• ns2.yournewhostingprovider.co.in

Most registrars have fields for at least two nameservers, while some allow more. Either way, enter all the ones your host provided.

Plus, triple-check for typos and if possible, copy-paste because one character wrong and it won’t work.

Step 6: Save Your Changes

Hit save, update, or submit. Whatever button your registrar uses.

You might see a confirmation message. But some registrars send an email confirmation, which is normal.

And that’s it. You’ve changed your nameservers.

But your work isn’t quite done yet.

Step 7: Set Up DNS Records at New Provider

Remember those DNS records you documented earlier? Time to recreate them.

Log in to your new hosting provider’s control panel.

Then, find their DNS management section and add back all your important DNS records, including:

• A record for your main domain
• A record for www subdomain
• MX records for email
• Any CNAME records for subdomains
• TXT records for email authentication

Also, if you’re using email services like Google Workspace or Zoho, don’t forget those MX and TXT records. Without them, emails stop working.

Likewise, for Indian businesses using specific services, say, a Razorpay verification record or a Google Site Verification, make sure these get added too.

How to Check if Nameserver Changes Worked

You made the change. But did it actually work?

Here’s how to verify.

1) Use Online DNS Checkers

Multiple free tools let you check nameservers from different locations worldwide.

Try these:

• whatsmydns.net
• dnschecker.org
• mxtoolbox.com

Enter your domain. Select “NS” record type and hit “Check.”

These tools query DNS servers from different countries and show you if the new nameservers have propagated globally.

2) Use Command Line 

Open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux).

Then type, nslookup -type=ns yourdomain.in (replace “yourdomain.in” with your actual domain)

This shows which nameservers your computer currently sees for that domain whereby if you see the new ones, you’re good. If not, wait longer.

3) Try Accessing Your Website

The simplest check, visit your website.

But here’s the catch.

Your computer caches DNS information, so you might still see the old site even after the nameservers changed.

To avoid that:

• Clear your browser cache
• Try from a different device
• Use mobile data instead of WiFi

If you’re seeing the new site consistently across multiple devices and networks, the change worked.

4) Check from Different ISPs

India has multiple ISPs, such as Jio, Airtel, BSNL, ACT Fibernet, and others, whereby they all cache DNS differently.

So, if possible, check your site from different networks. You can even ask a friend in another city to verify.

That way, it gives you confidence that the change propagated properly across India’s diverse internet infrastructure.

DNS Propagation: How Long It Takes

This is where patience becomes essential.

Nameserver changes aren’t instant. They require DNS propagation, the process of updated information spreading across internet servers worldwide.

So, how long does DNS propagation take? The standard timeframe is 24 to 48 hours.

But the reality is it’s often faster. I’ve seen changes propagate in 2-4 hours. Sometimes even quicker.

However, sometimes it takes the full 48 hours. Occasionally longer.

This variation occurs mainly because DNS information gets cached at multiple levels, including:

• Your ISP’s DNS servers
• Your computer or phone
• Your router
• Intermediate DNS servers worldwide

And, each has its own cache expiration time, called Time To Live (TTL).

So, when you change nameservers, this cached information gradually updates as TTL expires and servers fetch fresh datahence the variations in DNS propagation.

That means you’ve to plan accordingly. 

For instance, if you’re launching something important, change nameservers a few days in advance. 

Conclusion

Changing nameservers to point to another provider isn’t as intimidating as it seems.

All you need is the right information from your new host, then update the nameservers at your registrar and recreate your DNS records. 

Afterward, you wait for propagation.

The process takes 15 minutes of actual work. The waiting takes 24-48 hours.

But once it’s done, you’re on better infrastructure. Faster servers. Better support. Whatever improvement drove your decision to switch.

The good thing is that getting a reliable hosting provider doesn’t need to give you headaches.

At Truehost, we boast hosting and domain services in India, offering fast nameservers, 24/7 support, and our prices are pocket-friendly. 

Ready for the move? Get these mouth-watering deals to save big.