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Where Do I Edit My Domain's DNS? How to Find Your DNS Host

··2 min read

You edit DNS records at the company that runs your domain's nameservers, which you find in its NS records. That's often not the registrar where you bought the domain. Enter the domain in the domain registrar lookup to see the registrar, the DNS host (from NS) and the email provider (from MX) side by side.

Find where your DNS is hosted →

Find the DNS host with the lookup tool

  1. Open the domain registrar lookup.
  2. Enter your domain, or an email address or URL on it. Subdomains are reduced to the registered domain.
  3. Press Find registrar and DNS host.
  4. Read where to edit its DNS records. Where we've checked that company's own guide, it's linked.
  5. Then go on to the email setup check to see whether SPF, DKIM and DMARC are in place.

Find the DNS host by hand

dig +short NS yourdomain.com
# elliott.ns.cloudflare.com.
# hera.ns.cloudflare.com.

On Windows: nslookup -type=ns yourdomain.com. The nameserver names usually tell you the company: *.ns.cloudflare.com is Cloudflare, ns1.google.com is Google's own DNS, and registrars' default nameservers usually carry the registrar's name. Read the records you care about the same way:

dig +short MX yourdomain.com
dig +short TXT yourdomain.com

Why a new record "isn't working"

  • Added at the wrong company. The registrar's DNS panel often still works even when the nameservers point elsewhere, so records saved there are never served. Check NS first.
  • Wrong host name. Some panels want selector._domainkey, others the full selector._domainkey.yourdomain.com, and a few add the domain automatically, giving ...yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com.
  • Caching. Resolvers keep old answers until the record's TTL runs out.

Run the bulk DNS lookup to see what's actually published for one domain or a list.

Moving DNS to another company

Change the nameservers at your registrar, but copy every existing record to the new DNS host first: MX for email, SPF and DKIM TXT records, and any verification TXT records. Vercel's custom domain docs (read 8 November 2026) give the same warning: "copy your existing DNS records to Vercel, including MX records for email and any verification TXT records". For mail setup per provider, see Google Workspace MX records on Namecheap, GoDaddy, Cloudflare and Hostinger.

Next step: check your list before the first send

Once the domain's records are right, the remaining cause of bounces is the list. Upload it at /verify to check every mailbox without sending. The first 100 checks are free with a Google sign-in, no card.

Pro, $39 a month: Unlimited email verification.* Never metered, never cut off. See pricing.

*Fair use: the first 100,000 checks a month at full speed, then slower, never cut off.

More: find who a domain is registered with, SPF, DKIM and DMARC explained, cold email domain setup.

Common questions

Where do I edit my domain's DNS?

At whichever company runs the nameservers listed in your domain's NS records. If the NS records point to Cloudflare, edit in Cloudflare even if you bought the domain elsewhere.

How do I find my domain's nameservers?

Run dig +short NS yourdomain.com, or nslookup -type=ns yourdomain.com on Windows, or enter the domain in the domain registrar lookup.

I added a DNS record and nothing changed. Why?

The most common reason is that the record was added at a company that isn't the DNS host, such as the registrar when nameservers point elsewhere. Check the NS records, then check the record with a DNS lookup.

Can I change where DNS is hosted?

Yes, by changing the nameservers at your registrar. Copy every existing record, including MX and verification TXT records, to the new DNS host first, or email can stop.

Check your list before you send

Real mailbox checks over SMTP, and nothing is sent to the address. Sign in with Google and your first 100 email checks are free, no card. Plans for bigger lists are on the pricing page.