Free DNS tool
NS Lookup
Find the authoritative name servers that answer for any domain, and confirm a name server change has fully propagated.
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Lookups run in your browser over Google public DNS-over-HTTPS (Cloudflare as fallback). Nothing you enter is sent to Pulsetic.
DNS decides where your domain and email actually go. Pulsetic watches your domain and SSL certificate around the clock.
What is an NS record?
An NS (name server) record names a server that is authoritative for a domain, meaning it holds the real DNS zone and gives the definitive answer for every other record. A domain normally lists two or more NS records for redundancy.
The NS records at the registrar (the parent delegation) must match the NS records inside the zone itself. When they disagree, resolvers can get inconsistent answers, a classic cause of changes that work for some visitors but not others.
When to run an NS lookup
Run one after moving a domain to a new DNS provider or registrar to confirm the new name servers have taken over. Because NS delegation changes are cached for up to 48 hours, an NS lookup is the quickest way to see whether the switch has propagated.
It also helps when debugging: if the NS records point at the wrong provider, none of your other records will resolve the way you expect, no matter how correct they look in the dashboard.
Look it up from the terminal
Prefer the command line? These return the same records this tool shows:
dig example.com NS +short
nslookup -type=NS example.com
Every DNS record type
What each record does. Each one has a dedicated lookup in the tabs above.
| Record | What it does | Example value |
|---|---|---|
| A | Maps a domain to an IPv4 address. | example.com → 93.184.216.34 |
| AAAA | Maps a domain to an IPv6 address. | example.com → 2606:2800:220:1:: |
| CNAME | Points one name at another name, as an alias. | www → example.com |
| MX | Names the mail servers that accept email for the domain, each with a priority. | 10 mail.example.com |
| TXT | Holds free-form text, used for SPF, DKIM, DMARC and domain verification. | v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all |
| NS | Lists the authoritative name servers for the domain. | ns1.example.com |
| SOA | Start of authority: the primary name server and the zone refresh, retry and expiry timers. | ns1.example.com . 2026010101 |
| PTR | Reverse record: maps an IP address back to a host name. | 34.216.184.93.in-addr.arpa |
| SRV | Locates the host and port for a specific service. | _sip._tcp → 5060 sip.example.com |
| CAA | States which certificate authorities may issue SSL certificates for the domain. | 0 issue "letsencrypt.org" |
Frequently asked questions
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What is an NS record?
An NS record lists a name server that is authoritative for a domain. Those servers hold the zone file and answer every other DNS query for the domain, so the NS records sit at the top of the chain.
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How many NS records should a domain have?
At least two, on separate name servers, so the domain keeps resolving if one server fails. Many providers give you four. A single NS record is a single point of failure.
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Why do my NS records differ between the registrar and the zone?
The registrar publishes the delegation and your DNS host publishes the NS records inside the zone. They should match exactly; a mismatch causes inconsistent or failed lookups and should be fixed at the registrar.
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How long do NS changes take to apply?
Name server delegation is cached at the TLD level and by resolvers, so a change can take up to 48 hours to propagate everywhere. An NS lookup shows you what public resolvers currently see.
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