Manage Nameservers in Zoho Domains

Nameservers are specialized servers on the internet that store and provide DNS information for a domain. They act as the authoritative source that tells the internet where a domain’s DNS records are located. When someone accesses your domain, whether to visit a website or send an email, DNS resolvers first check the nameservers assigned to the domain. These nameservers then respond with the appropriateDNS records, such as A, MX, or TXT records, allowing the request to be routed to the correct service.

Manage Nameservers

Zoho Domains provides a flexible interface to manage your domain’s nameservers. You can choose between:

• Using Zoho’s default nameservers
• Configuring custom nameservers from a third-party DNS provider

The choice determines where your domain’s DNS records are managed and how DNS resolution will be handled.

Use Zoho’s Nameservers

For domains registered directly with Zoho Domains, Zoho’s default nameservers are assigned automatically. When this option is enabled, Zoho becomes the authoritative DNS provider, and all DNS records are managed within Zoho Domains.

Steps to enable Zoho’s nameservers:

1. Log in to the Zoho Domains account.
2. Navigate to the My Domains section from the top pane.
3. Click Manage next to the required domain.
4. Select Manage DNS on the domain management page.
5. Click Nameservers from the top pane.
6. Ensure the Use Zoho’s Nameservers toggle is enabled.

After enabling, you can manage all DNS records directly in Zoho Domains, and no further configuration is required.

Use Custom Nameservers

If your domain is registered with Zoho Domains and you prefer to manage DNS with a third-party provider (for example, Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Google Domains, or Namecheap), you can configure custom nameservers. In this setup, the external provider becomes the authoritative DNS host. All DNS records must be managed entirely on that provider’s platform, and Zoho Domains will function only as the domain registrar.

1. Log in to the Zoho Domains account.
2. Navigate to the My Domains section from the top pane.
3. Click Manage next to the required domain.
4. Select Manage DNS on the domain management page.
5. Click Nameservers from the top pane.
6. Disable the Use Zoho’s Nameservers toggle.
7. Enter the nameservers provided by your DNS provider.
8. A minimum of two nameservers is required, and you can configure up to thirteen nameservers.
9. Click Save to apply the changes.
10. Confirm the action in the confirmation dialog.

Once saved, DNS records must be managed entirely through the external DNS provider.

Nameservers for transferred domains

When a domain is transferred from another registrar to Zoho Domains, the resulting DNS and nameserver configuration depends on the option you select during the transfer process. Based on your selection, Zoho Domains either becomes the authoritative DNS provider or continues to delegate DNS resolution to an external provider.

• Using Zoho’s Nameservers : If you select any of the DNS configuration options during transfer, such as Upload DNS Zone File, Auto Fetch DNS Records, or Add DNS Records Manually, Zoho Domains becomes the authoritative DNS host for your domain. In this setup, Zoho’s default nameservers are applied automatically, and all DNS records are managed and served from Zoho Domains.
• Using Custom Nameservers : If you select Retain Current DNS during the domain transfer, your existing third-party DNS provider continues to serve DNS records. To ensure proper DNS delegation, you must configure the third-party provider’s Nameservers as custom nameservers in Zoho Domains. Zoho acts only as the domain registrar, while DNS authority remains with the external provider.

DNS records and service behavior after a domain transfer vary based on the selected nameserver and DNS configuration. Always verify that the correct nameservers are configured in Zoho Domains and that the authoritative DNS provider contains accurate and up-to-date DNS records to avoid service disruptions.