Nameservers are part of the system that tells the internet where to find the DNS information for your domain. You do not normally need to think about them day to day, but they can become important when a website is being moved or connected.
Nameservers in simple terms
Your domain name is the address people use to reach your website. Nameservers tell other systems where the DNS records for that domain are being managed. Those DNS records can then point visitors to the correct website and can also be involved in services such as business email.
A useful way to think about it: your domain is the address, while nameservers help direct internet services to the place where the instructions for that address are stored.
Why might Toolbelt Websites ask me to change nameservers?
During a website project, Toolbelt Websites may sometimes need the domain to use a different set of nameservers so the domain can be connected correctly to the new website setup. Whether this is necessary depends on how your domain and DNS are currently arranged.
If a nameserver change is required, follow the specific instructions supplied by Toolbelt Websites rather than changing other domain settings at the same time.
Why should I be careful when changing nameservers?
Nameservers can affect more than the website. The same DNS setup may also contain records used by email, verification services or other systems connected to your domain.
Changing nameservers without making sure the required DNS records are in place can cause services to stop working. That is why it is better not to experiment with nameserver settings or make extra changes that have not been requested.
Important: if Toolbelt Websites has supplied nameserver instructions for your project, use those instructions exactly. If anything on your domain account looks different from the instructions, ask before making the change.
Where can I find my nameserver settings?
Nameserver settings are normally found in the account used to manage your domain name. The wording varies between providers, but it may appear under areas such as DNS, nameservers or domain settings.
If you are not sure which company manages your domain, use our guide on how to find out who manages your domain first.
What happens after nameservers are changed?
The change may not appear everywhere immediately. Different networks can continue using older DNS information for a while, which is why one person can sometimes see the new website before somebody else does.
Our guide to DNS propagation explains why that happens and what you can reasonably expect after a DNS change.
Last updated: 8 September 2026