Nameservers vs DNS records

When we need to update where your domain sends visitors or email, there are two different ways to do it. One is to change nameservers. The other is to edit individual DNS records. Knowing which is which saves a lot of confusion.

Help me choose

Change nameservers, or edit a record?

Does a new service need to manage all of your DNS?

The simple analogy

Think of it this way:

Nameservers are like choosing which company runs your filing cabinet (where all your records live).
DNS records are the individual files inside that cabinet.

When you change nameservers, you're moving the filing cabinet to a new company. When you edit DNS records, you're updating a file inside the cabinet, without moving anything.

What are nameservers?

Every domain is assigned a set of nameservers, usually two or more. When someone looks up your domain, the internet asks your nameservers for the answer. Nameservers are set at your registrar.

Typical nameserver addresses look like:

Namecheap's own DNS: dns1.registrar-servers.com / dns2.registrar-servers.com
Cloudflare: two names in the form something.ns.cloudflare.com, where Cloudflare picks the word in front for you

Cloudflare's pair is worth a note. Cloudflare assigns your domain two nameserver names automatically when you add it, and once assigned they can't be changed, so there is no generic ns1.cloudflare.com to type in, and another domain's pair isn't necessarily yours. Copy the exact pair Cloudflare shows you.

What are DNS records?

DNS records are the specific instructions stored at your nameservers. Each record type does a specific job:

A recordMaps your domain to your website's IP address
CNAME recordCreates an alias pointing to another domain name
MX recordsRoute email to your email provider
TXT recordsVerify ownership and configure email security

See DNS records explained for a full breakdown.

When to change nameservers

Change nameservers when:

A service like Cloudflare needs to manage all your DNS for performance or security
Your new web host asks you to delegate DNS to them (some hosts prefer this)
You're connecting to a platform like Squarespace that then stores your DNS records itself: Squarespace calls this "nameserver connect"

Important: Changing nameservers means all your DNS records need to be recreated at the new nameserver provider. Your MX records (email), any existing CNAMEs, and other settings must be carried over. Otherwise email and other services will break.

When to edit DNS records

Edit individual DNS records when:

You're connecting a new website to an existing domain (update the A record)
You're setting up email (add or update MX records)
You need to verify domain ownership with Google, Microsoft, or another service (add a TXT record)
You're adding a subdomain
Your nameservers aren't changing. You're just making a targeted update

This is a smaller, less disruptive change.

Side-by-side comparison

Changing nameservers

Moves all DNS control to a new provider
All records must be recreated at the new provider
Can affect website AND email
Used for major migrations
Registrars commonly ask you to allow 24 to 48 hours

Editing DNS records

Makes targeted changes at your current DNS provider
Only the updated record is affected
Easy to undo
Used for specific connections (new site, new email, verifications)
Usually takes effect in minutes to a few hours

Always back up your DNS records before changing nameservers

Before switching nameservers, write down or screenshot all your current DNS records, especially MX records for email. You'll need to recreate them at the new provider. Forgetting this is a very common cause of email going down during a site migration. Some platforms are explicit about it: Squarespace warns that its nameserver connection process removes all CNAME records and some A records.

Common questions

Where do I find my current nameservers?

Log in to your registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.) and look in your domain's DNS or nameserver settings. You can also look them up with ICANN Lookup, which reports a domain's registrar, its status and its nameservers.

I changed nameservers but now my email doesn't work. What happened?

Your MX records probably weren't recreated at the new nameserver provider. Log in to the new DNS management area and add your email provider's MX records. See Email DNS records and Common DNS problems & fixes.

How do I know if my domain is using Cloudflare's nameservers?

Look up your domain's nameservers with ICANN Lookup. If the two names end in .ns.cloudflare.com, your domain is pointing to Cloudflare. Inside Cloudflare, your assigned pair is shown on the zone's Overview page. See Cloudflare basics for clients.

Can I have some records at the registrar and some at Cloudflare?

In practice, no. Once your domain points at Cloudflare's nameservers, that's where its DNS records live, and you manage them there. There are advanced setups that delegate a single subdomain out to a different provider, or that put a subdomain in its own Cloudflare zone (that one is an Enterprise feature), but those are deliberate configurations rather than something you can drift into. For a normal small-business setup, treat it as: whoever holds your nameservers holds your DNS.