Using Your Own Name Servers for a Domain

IONOS allows you to specify separate name servers for each domain instead of the default IONOS name servers. This allows you to delegate the DNS management for your domains to another hosting provider or to host your own name servers.

Setting Custom Name Servers

You can change the name servers for your domain right in your IONOS account.

Please Note

The way described here only works for the main, root domains. To change the name server settings for a subdomain, add a corresponding NS record for each of the name servers to the DNS configuration of your domain. Adding Name Server Records

Next to the desired domain, click on the gear icon under Actions and select Name Server.
Click Use Custom Name Servers and enter the desiredname servers in the Name Server 1 and Name Server 2 fields. Optionally, you can enter two additional external name servers in the Name Server 3 and Name Server 4fields.
To accept the changes, click Save.

You can edit or reset the name servers in this area at any time.

To reset your name servers and use the default IONOS name servers again, click Reset Settings.

If you change the name servers, it can take up to 48 hours before the change takes effect everywhere due to the decentralised structure of the Domain Name System.

Effects of Using Your Own Name Servers

If you use your own name servers, you can configure additional DNS records for your domain, for example, to prepare the changes for your own name servers. However, these records are not visible on the Internet. After your own name servers have been fully propagated in the Internet (max. 48 hours after the change), you must make the DNS records with the relevant provider or in the relevant external name server.