Nameservers and DNS records are often confused, yet they do different jobs. Nameservers decide which company answers questions about your domain. DNS records are the answers themselves. Knowing the difference saves hours when something stops working.
What nameservers do
Every domain lists two or more servers at the registry. When a visitor types your domain, resolvers ask those servers for directions. If the list points to HostiGuard, our servers answer. If it points to another provider, that provider answers instead. Only one set is in charge at a time.
What DNS records do
DNS records live on the servers in charge. An A record gives the website address. MX records say where e-mail goes. TXT records prove ownership and protect your mail. You edit these records in the zone editor of the provider your domain points to.
When to change nameservers
- You move all services, website and e-mail, to a new provider.
- You want one place to manage every record.
- Your old provider is closing or no longer supports you.
When to change only records
- You keep e-mail with one company and the website with another.
- You add a single service, such as a store builder or a mail platform.
- You want to avoid moving every record at once.
Avoid downtime
Before switching nameservers, copy every record to the new provider. Check MX, TXT and subdomain records carefully. Then update the list at the registrar. Changes spread in a few hours, sometimes up to two days.
During that time, some visitors see the old setup and some see the new one. That is normal. Keep both setups working until the change is complete.
Check your setup
You can see the current list for any domain with our WHOIS lookup. To check individual records, use the DNS lookup tool. Both are free and need no account.
When in doubt, ask our support team before changing anything. A five-minute question is cheaper than an afternoon without e-mail.
