How to Change Your Domain's Nameservers

Overview

When you purchase hosting from Have Freedom Hosting, your domain needs to know where your website is hosted.

One common way to connect your domain to your hosting account is by changing the domain's nameservers.

Nameservers tell the internet which service is responsible for managing your domain's DNS.

This guide explains how the process works and what to watch for when making the change.

Before You Begin

Before changing your nameservers, make sure you know:

• The domain you want to connect

• Where your domain is registered

• The correct Have Freedom Hosting nameservers for your hosting account

Your domain registrar is the company where you registered or currently manage your domain.

If you aren't sure which nameservers to use, check the information provided with your Have Freedom Hosting service.

Do not guess your nameservers. Use the exact values provided for your hosting account.

What Happens When You Change Nameservers?

Changing nameservers tells the internet:

"Use this provider for the DNS information for my domain."

After the change, DNS requests for your domain will be directed to the new nameservers.

If you're moving your domain from another hosting provider to Have Freedom Hosting, this allows the DNS configuration associated with your Have Freedom Hosting account to become authoritative for the domain.

Step 1: Log In to Your Domain Registrar

Go to the website of the company where your domain is registered.

Sign in to your account and locate your domain.

Depending on the registrar, you may find the nameserver settings under sections such as:

• Domain Management

• DNS

• Nameservers

• Name Server Settings

• Domain Settings

The exact wording and location varies between registrars.

Step 2: Find the Nameserver Settings

Open the settings for the domain you're connecting.

Look for the option to change or manage nameservers.

You may currently see something similar to:

Nameserver 1: ns1.current-provider.example
Nameserver 2: ns2.current-provider.example

These are the nameservers currently being used by your domain.

Step 3: Enter Your Have Freedom Hosting Nameservers

Replace the existing nameservers with the nameservers provided for your Have Freedom Hosting account.

For example:

Nameserver 1: [Have Freedom Hosting nameserver]
Nameserver 2: [Have Freedom Hosting nameserver]

The actual values will depend on your hosting configuration.

Use the exact nameserver addresses provided by Have Freedom Hosting.

Do not use the example values above.

Step 4: Save the Changes

Save or submit the changes through your domain registrar.

Your registrar may ask you to confirm the change.

Once the change has been accepted, the process of updating DNS can begin.

How Long Does It Take?

Nameserver changes aren't always visible immediately.

DNS information is cached by systems throughout the internet, so different networks may recognize the change at different times.

During this period, you may experience inconsistent results.

For example:

• Your new website works for you but not someone else.

• Your old website still appears.

• Your website works from one internet connection but not another.

• DNS lookup tools show different results temporarily.

This is normal during DNS changes.

Avoid repeatedly changing your nameservers while waiting for the original change to take effect.

What Happens to My Website?

Once the new nameservers are being used, DNS records from the new DNS provider become authoritative for your domain.

If your Have Freedom Hosting account has been configured correctly, your domain can then begin directing visitors to your hosting account.

If your website is already uploaded to your hosting account, it should become accessible once the appropriate DNS information is being used.

What Happens to My Email?

This is one of the most important things to consider before changing nameservers.

Changing nameservers can also change which DNS records control your email.

If your email is hosted somewhere other than Have Freedom Hosting, changing nameservers without recreating the necessary email records can interrupt email delivery.

Before changing nameservers, determine where your email is hosted.

For example:

Website → Have Freedom Hosting

Email → Another provider

This setup is perfectly possible, but the necessary DNS records must remain configured correctly.

If you currently use email for your domain, don't change nameservers blindly.

If you're unsure what will happen to your email, ask for help before making the change.

What About My Existing DNS Records?

If your domain is currently using another DNS provider, it may have records for:

• Website

• Email

• Subdomains

• Domain verification

• Third-party services

• Security services

Changing nameservers means the new DNS provider becomes responsible for the domain's DNS.

That means existing records may need to be recreated in the new DNS configuration.

Before changing nameservers, make a note of any important existing DNS records.

Nameservers vs. DNS Records

Changing nameservers and changing individual DNS records are different things.

Changing Nameservers

Changes where your DNS is managed.

Changing DNS Records

Changes how a particular service is configured.

If you're simply trying to point your website somewhere else while keeping your existing DNS provider, you may only need to change an individual DNS record rather than the nameservers.

Common Problems

My Domain Still Shows My Old Website

The nameserver change may still be propagating.

If enough time has passed, verify that your domain is actually using the intended nameservers and that the new DNS configuration points to your hosting account.

My Website Works but My Email Stopped

Check your email-related DNS records, particularly your MX records.

This can happen when existing email DNS records weren't recreated after changing DNS providers.

My Domain Isn't Loading

Verify:

• The nameservers were entered correctly.

• The changes were saved.

• Your domain is active.

• Your hosting account is active.

• The DNS configuration is correct.

• The change has had time to propagate.

I Don't Know Where My Domain Is Registered

Search your domain's registration information or check your previous domain-related invoices or emails.

If you're still unsure, Have Freedom Hosting Support may be able to help you determine what information you'll need to locate.

Before You Change Anything

If your domain already has a working website and email, take a few minutes to document its current configuration.

At minimum, know:

• Where your DNS is currently managed

• Where your website is hosted

• Where your email is hosted

• Whether you use any important subdomains

• Whether any third-party services depend on your DNS

This can prevent an otherwise simple domain change from unexpectedly taking other services offline.

Need Help?

If you're moving your domain to Have Freedom Hosting and aren't sure whether you should change your nameservers, contact Have Freedom Hosting Support before making the change.

Tell us:

• Your domain name

• Where the domain is registered

• Where your website is currently hosted

• Where your email is currently hosted

• What you're trying to accomplish

We can help you determine what information you'll need and what to watch for before making the change.