How to change your nameservers

This guide shows how to change the nameservers on a domain registered with us. If your domain is registered with another company, see how to point your domain at our hosting instead.

What nameservers do

Nameservers tell the internet where to find the DNS records for your domain. Those records decide where your website and email are hosted. Changing the nameservers moves control of all those records to a different company.

Our nameservers

• ns1.whgbdns.com
• ns2.whgbdns.com
• ns3.whgbdns.com
• ns4.whgbdns.com

Use these if your website or email is hosted with us.

Change the nameservers

1. Log in to the client area.
2. Go to Domains, then My Domains.
3. Click Manage next to the domain.
4. Click Nameservers. The menu names may vary slightly.
5. Choose the option to use custom nameservers.
6. Enter the nameservers you want, one per box. To use our hosting, enter the four above.
7. Click Change Nameservers or Save.

If you’re moving the website to another host, they’ll give you their own nameservers to enter here.

How long it takes

Nameserver changes can take up to 24 to 48 hours to reach every part of the internet, though they’re often much quicker. During this time some people may see the old site and others the new one.

Before you switch

When you change nameservers, the DNS records at the old nameservers stop being used. If you have email or other services on the domain, set up the same records at the new place first. For records on our hosting, see how to edit DNS records in cPanel.

If it doesn’t work

• The change won’t save. Check for typing mistakes, and that there are no spaces or full stops at the end of each nameserver.
• The old site still shows after two days. Check the nameservers in the client area are the ones you meant to set. Clear your browser cache or try on mobile data.
• Email stopped arriving. The mail records weren’t set up at the new nameservers. Add them there, or switch the nameservers back while you sort it out.

Good to know

You only need to change nameservers once. After that, day to day changes such as adding a record for Microsoft 365 are made in the DNS records, not the nameservers.

Still stuck? Open a support ticket and we’ll help.