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Adding NS Records for a Subdomain

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To have a subdomain (for example blog.example.com) answered by different authoritative name servers while DNSimple hosts DNS for your domain, add NS records for that subdomain in the DNSimple record editor, one for each of the other provider’s name servers. For field names in the editor, see How To Add Common DNS Records.

Subdomain delegation covers standard DNS resolution only. Publishing DS records for the delegated subdomain (a zone cut) is not supported in DNSimple, so the subdomain is not covered by a DNSSEC chain of trust, even if the provider hosting the subdomain signs its zone. For feature compatibility details, see DNSSEC Compatibility With Other DNSimple Features.

Confirm the domain uses DNSimple for DNS

Before you add NS records, the parent domain must be delegated to DNSimple. If the domain is registered with DNSimple, follow Delegate a DNSimple-Registered Domain to DNSimple. If the domain is registered elsewhere but uses DNSimple for DNS, follow Delegate a Domain from Another Registrar to DNSimple. If you are unsure which path applies, start from Pointing a Domain to DNSimple.

Add NS records in DNSimple

Create NS records for the subdomain
  1. If you have more than one account, select the relevant one.
  2. On the header, click the tab, and click the domain’s name.
  3. Click at the top right of the domain page.
  4. Click , and select .
  5. In , enter the subdomain label (for example blog for blog.example.com).

  6. In , enter the authoritative name server hostname your provider gave you (for example ns1.otherdns.com).

    Add NS record form with blog as the name and ns1.otherdns.com as the name server

  7. Click to save the NS record.
  8. Repeat steps 4 through 7 for each additional name server hostname your provider gave you (typically two or more NS records for the same subdomain name).

Tip

If you are copying values from another DNS provider, see How To Add Common DNS Records for how Name and Content map to common labels such as Host and Value.

Verify the delegation

Check NS data and resolution
  1. Query DNSimple for the NS set you published: dig @ns1.dnsimple-edge.com NS blog.example.com (replace blog.example.com with your subdomain).
  2. Confirm the full resolution path: dig +trace blog.example.com
  3. Query the target name servers your NS records point to (replace the server and name): dig @ns1.otherdns.com blog.example.com

Name server propagation

Subdomain NS records live in your DNSimple zone, not at the registry, so DNSimple’s name servers serve them as soon as you save them. Resolvers that already cached answers for the subdomain keep using them until their TTL expires. NS records use a TTL of 1 hour by default. Learn more in How DNS Caching and TTL Affect DNS Changes.

Have more questions?

If you have questions about NS records or subdomain delegation, contact support, and we will be happy to help. You can also read more about DNS hosting at DNSimple.