GoDaddy Nameservers: How to Find and Change Them

By Umair Ali Sadaqat · Updated November 6, 2026 · Editorial policy

Find and change GoDaddy nameservers step by step, learn default vs custom nameservers, what happens to your DNS records, and how long propagation takes.

Short answer: To change your nameservers at GoDaddy, sign in, open your Domain Portfolio, select the domain, go to DNS, then Nameservers, and choose either GoDaddy's own nameservers or your own (custom) ones. Paste the values your new host gave you, save, and wait. GoDaddy says most DNS changes take effect within an hour but can take up to 48 hours to update globally. Before you save, recreate your DNS records at the new provider, because the old GoDaddy records stop being used.

What nameservers do (and why GoDaddy has two modes)

Nameservers are the servers that answer the question "where does this domain's DNS live?" When someone visits your domain, resolvers ask the nameservers listed at your registry for the records: where the website is, where email goes, which TXT records verify ownership. If you want the longer definition, see what are nameservers.

GoDaddy gives you two choices on the nameserver screen:

GoDaddy nameservers (the default). The domain points to GoDaddy's servers, and you manage every record in your GoDaddy account.
Custom nameservers. You enter nameservers supplied by someone else, and DNS is managed there instead.

Buying the domain at GoDaddy makes GoDaddy your registrar no matter which option you pick. Nameservers only decide who hosts the DNS zone.

How to find your current GoDaddy nameservers

Sign in to your GoDaddy account.
Open your Domain Portfolio and select the domain.
Go to DNS, then Nameservers.
Read which mode is active. If it says GoDaddy nameservers, DNS is managed in GoDaddy. If it lists custom values, DNS is managed wherever those servers belong.

GoDaddy redesigns its dashboard from time to time, so button names can shift slightly. The path above matches GoDaddy's current help article, "Change my domain nameservers" (checked November 2026).

You can also check from outside GoDaddy with a public lookup. On a Mac or Linux terminal, run dig NS yourdomain.com +short, or use nslookup -type=NS yourdomain.com on Windows. That shows what the internet currently sees, which is the real test of whether a change has gone through.

How to change nameservers at GoDaddy

Before you start: copy your records

This step prevents most outages. Changing nameservers moves DNS hosting, so records sitting in the old GoDaddy zone stop answering once the switch takes effect.

Open your GoDaddy DNS records and note every A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, and SRV record. Screenshot the list.
Recreate the ones you still need at the new DNS provider. Email (MX and any SPF, DKIM, or DMARC TXT records) is the most commonly forgotten part.
Get the exact nameserver values from your new host. Providers usually give you two or more.

Switch to custom nameservers

In your Domain Portfolio, open the domain and go to DNS, then Nameservers.
Choose the option to use your own nameservers (GoDaddy labels the default choice as recommended).
Enter each nameserver from your new provider, exactly as given, with no extra spaces.
Save and continue to finish.
If GoDaddy asks for extra identity verification (domains with Domain Protection can require it), complete it so the change goes through.

Switch back to GoDaddy nameservers

Follow the same path and pick GoDaddy Nameservers instead. Then confirm your records exist in GoDaddy's DNS manager, since any records you edited elsewhere do not come back automatically.

Default vs custom nameservers: which should you use?

Situation	Best choice	Why
You manage DNS inside GoDaddy and only need to point a name at a host	GoDaddy nameservers	Add or edit an A or CNAME record; nothing else changes
Your host says "point your nameservers to us"	Custom nameservers	The host manages the whole zone for you
You use a CDN or managed DNS service for the whole domain	Custom nameservers	That service must be authoritative for DNS
You want email, site, and DNS in one dashboard	Either, but keep it in one place	Splitting DNS across two providers causes mismatched records
You are troubleshooting a broken site or email	Stay on the current mode until you have a full record copy	Switching blind can make an outage worse

A useful rule: if the new service gives you a record to add (an A record or CNAME), you probably do not need to touch nameservers at all. If it gives you a list of nameservers, it wants control of DNS.

What happens to your DNS records when you change nameservers

This is where people get surprised, so here it is in plain terms:

Records at the old DNS host are no longer used. The new nameservers answer every query. If a record exists only at GoDaddy, it effectively disappears for the public internet.
Records are not copied for you. Unless the new provider offers an import, you must recreate each record by hand.
Email is the first thing to break. Missing MX records mean incoming mail bounces or goes missing; missing SPF or DKIM records hurt deliverability.
Verification records matter. TXT records used by Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or other services need to move too.

GoDaddy itself warns that changing nameservers may break existing connections to your website or email, and recommends checking your settings before and after.

How long does propagation take?

GoDaddy's help pages say most DNS changes take effect within an hour but can take up to 48 hours to update globally. The registry is typically updated quickly; the wait comes from resolvers and ISPs caching the old answers until they expire.

Plan around that window:

Make the change at a quiet time, not during a launch or a sales event.
Keep the old records in place at the previous provider until the new setup works.
Lowering TTL values on important records a day beforehand can shorten how long old answers linger. GoDaddy explains the factors on its page about what affects DNS propagation time.

Is it propagation or a mistake?

Check in this order:

Run dig NS yourdomain.com +short from a couple of networks. If you see the new nameservers, the registry change worked and you are just waiting on caches.
Query the new nameserver directly: dig yourdomain.com @ns-from-your-host. If it returns your records, the zone is set up correctly.
If neither works after 48 hours, GoDaddy suggests the cause is probably a settings error such as a typo in a nameserver or a missing record, not propagation. Re-open the Nameservers page and compare each value character for character.

Common mistakes

Typos or trailing spaces in the nameserver fields.
Switching before copying records, which takes email or the site offline.
Changing nameservers when an A record would do, which creates extra risk for no benefit.
Managing records in two places. If your domain uses outside nameservers, editing records in GoDaddy's DNS manager changes nothing live.
Skipping verification. Some domains need additional verification or have special nameserver requirements, so if the save fails, read the error message GoDaddy shows.

Copyable checklist

[ ] Screenshot or export all current DNS records
[ ] Confirm the exact nameserver values from the new provider
[ ] Recreate all needed records (especially MX and TXT) at the new provider
[ ] Lower TTL on key records the day before, if you can
[ ] Update nameservers in GoDaddy (Domain Portfolio, DNS, Nameservers)
[ ] Check the live result with dig NS or nslookup
[ ] Test the website, send and receive a test email
[ ] Keep old records for a few days before cleaning up

If you are connecting a new website

If the reason you are here is that you want to point a GoDaddy domain at a new site, check what the builder asks for first. Some want nameservers; many only need a CNAME or A record. If you are weighing options beyond GoDaddy's own builder, see GoDaddy alternatives, or GoDaddy website builder pricing to see what the bundled option costs. We.Inc's free plan lets you publish up to three sites from ready-made templates; the AI builder that drafts a site from a prompt starts on the Starter plan at $20 a month. You can start at my.we.inc/signup.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I find my nameservers in GoDaddy?

Sign in to your GoDaddy account, open your Domain Portfolio, select the domain, and go to DNS, then Nameservers. The page shows whether the domain uses GoDaddy nameservers or custom ones, and lists the current values. GoDaddy has reorganized these screens before, so if a label differs, look for the DNS or Nameservers section in the domain's settings.

How long do GoDaddy nameserver changes take?

GoDaddy's help pages say most DNS changes take effect within an hour but can take up to 48 hours to update globally. The change reaches the registry quickly; the delay comes from resolvers around the world caching the old answers. If nothing has changed after 48 hours, GoDaddy points to a settings error as the likelier cause than propagation.

Will changing nameservers delete my DNS records at GoDaddy?

Changing nameservers does not by itself erase the records in your GoDaddy zone, but while the domain uses other nameservers, those records are no longer served. Visitors and mail servers get answers from the new DNS host instead. Recreate every record you need (A, CNAME, MX, TXT) at the new provider before you switch, because GoDaddy warns the change can break website and email connections.

Should I use GoDaddy nameservers or custom nameservers?

Use GoDaddy's nameservers if you want to manage DNS records inside GoDaddy. Use custom nameservers when another service, such as a hosting company, a CDN, or a managed DNS provider, tells you to hand DNS over to it. The registrar (where you pay for the domain) stays GoDaddy either way; only the place DNS records are managed changes.

Do I always need to change nameservers to connect a domain to a website?

No. Many hosts and site builders let you keep GoDaddy nameservers and just add or edit an A record or CNAME record in GoDaddy DNS. Changing nameservers is only required when the service wants to control your whole DNS zone. Check the provider's connection instructions and pick the lighter option when it is offered.

Alternatives mentioned in this article

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