Nameserver

Definition

Nameservers participate in DNS resolution. For a business owner, the most important set is usually the authoritative nameservers named at the registrar. Those servers hold the DNS records that direct the domain's website, email, and verification traffic.

Why it matters

Changing nameservers effectively changes which DNS record set is authoritative, so a missing copied record can interrupt services.

Common misunderstanding

A nameserver change is not merely a website setting; it can affect every DNS-dependent service for the domain.

Related terms

• DNS
• DNS record
• Domain name

Related system family: Hosting & Release

Sources

• DNS concepts (opens in a new tab) · Cloudflare Developers
• RFC 1034: Domain names — concepts and facilities (opens in a new tab) · RFC Editor / IETF