Question

Can you use DigitalOcean's name servers for any domain?

Posted on January 14, 2024
DNS
Asked by Arnold Layne

I have a Droplet and therefore an account with DigitalOcean.

I am not yet running any website out of that Droplet.

Suppose I have a domain.

Can I

at the domain registrar site, point the domain to DigitalOcean’s name servers
and at DigitalOcean, set various (A, MX, etc.) records to direct traffic to wherever my Web, email, etc. servers are hosted?

I have looked at: https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/networking/dns/getting-started/dns-registrars/

It tells me how to point domains to DO’s name severs but does not seem to answer the question above.

The point of the question is whether I could use DO as name server for a domain that is as yet not hosted with DO and otherwise has nothing to do with DO.

Thanks.

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Bobby Iliev

Site Moderator

• January 14, 2024

Accepted Answer

Hey!

Absolutely, Arnold! You can indeed use DigitalOcean’s name servers for any domain, regardless of whether your website or services are hosted with DigitalOcean or not. Here’s a breakdown of how you can set this up:

Point Your Domain to DigitalOcean’s Name Servers: First, at your domain registrar’s site, change the name servers for your domain to DigitalOcean’s name servers. Typically, these are:
- ns1.digitalocean.com
- ns2.digitalocean.com
- ns3.digitalocean.com
This process may vary slightly depending on your registrar, but in general, you’ll find the option to change name servers in the domain management or DNS settings area.
Set Up DNS Records in DigitalOcean: Once your domain is pointing to DigitalOcean’s name servers, log in to your DigitalOcean account. Here, you can add your domain and set up various DNS records (like A, MX, CNAME, etc.) according to your needs. These records will direct traffic to your web, email, and other servers, irrespective of where they are hosted.
- Go to the Networking section in your DigitalOcean dashboard.
- Add your domain under the ‘Domains’ tab.
- After adding your domain, you can start creating DNS records. For example, an A record can point your domain to the IP address of your web server, and MX records can direct email traffic to your email servers.
Propagation Time: Remember, after making these changes, there might be a propagation period. DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to fully propagate across the internet, though it’s often much quicker.
Test Your Setup: Once you’ve set up your DNS records, it’s a good idea to test and ensure everything is working as expected. You can use online tools like dig or nslookup to verify your DNS settings.

In summary, DigitalOcean’s DNS service is quite flexible and can be used for domains regardless of where the actual services are hosted. It’s a great way to manage your DNS records, especially if you’re already using DigitalOcean for other services. Just keep in mind the DNS propagation times and always double-check your DNS settings for accuracy. Happy hosting!

Best,

Bobby

KFSys

Site Moderator

• January 16, 2024

Heya @oceandigger,

Yes, you can use DigitalOcean to host your DNS here. First, regarding namerservers, you can use these:

Once you have changed the Nameservers of your Domain to the above, youy can add your Domain to your DigitalOcean Control Panel and start editing your DNS records. Ideally, you can do that before you change your Nameservers, configure your DNS records and after that change them.