Suggest an editImprove this articleRefine the answer for “What is an NS record?”. Your changes go to moderation before they’re published.Approval requiredContentWhat you’re changing🇺🇸EN🇺🇦UAPreviewTitle (EN)Short answer (EN)**An NS record (Name Server record)** is a **DNS record** that indicates **which DNS servers are authoritative for a domain or DNS zone**. **Key point:** an NS record does not contain the site's IP, it contains a DNS server's address, and changing NS records effectively means changing the DNS provider.Shown above the full answer for quick recall.Answer (EN)Image**An NS record (Name Server record)** is a **DNS record** that indicates **which DNS servers are authoritative for a domain or DNS zone**. In simpler terms: **an NS record says which DNS servers can be trusted to answer for this domain**. --- ## Why an NS record is needed DNS is a distributed system. To understand **who is responsible for a specific domain**, NS records are used. They are needed to: - determine **where a domain's DNS records are stored** - route DNS queries correctly - delegate a domain to other DNS servers Without NS records, DNS **would not know whom to ask next**. --- ## How an NS record works (simplified) 1. The client wants to find the IP for `example.com` 2. The DNS system reaches the `.com` zone 3. `.com` answers: > "These DNS servers are responsible for `example.com`" 4. The client contacts **the specified NS servers** 5. It gets the needed A / CNAME / MX records **An NS record does not contain the site's IP**, it contains **a DNS server's address**. --- ## Example of NS records Simplified: | Name | Type | Value | |---|---|---| | example.com | NS | ns1.provider.net | | example.com | NS | ns2.provider.net | This means: **The DNS servers** `ns1.provider.net` **and** `ns2.provider.net` **are responsible for the domain** `example.com`. --- ## Important points for an interview - NS records: - point to the **authoritative DNS servers** - are stored in the DNS zone - a domain usually has **several NS records** (for fault tolerance) - changing NS records = changing the DNS provider --- ## Where NS records are configured NS records are set: - at the domain registrar - in the parent zone (`.com`, `.org`, etc.) That is why changing NS can take time (propagation across DNS). --- ## Real-life example An NS record is like a sign: > "For all questions about this building, contact this management company" The building is the domain The company is the DNS server --- ## Short interview answer Remember this formulation: > **An NS record is a DNS record that indicates the DNS servers authoritative for a domain or zone, and defines where its DNS records are stored and served.**For the reviewerNote to the moderator (optional)Visible only to the moderator. Helps review go faster.