Whenever a domain is registered with GoDaddy, the nameservers by default are set to domaincontrol.com. Here's how to manage and update your DNS in just about 2 minutes. If you want to point your domain to an external host, you'll need to manage the nameservers yourself. Many website owners need to change the nameservers in order to point their domain to a different hosting provider. Let's figure out how to make these changes using the GoDaddy domain control panel.
Steps to Change Your Nameservers at GoDaddy
If you are moving your website from an old hosting provider to a new one, it's necessary to change the DNS. Let's find out how to update the default nameservers on your GoDaddy account.
- Type GoDaddy.com in your browser, hit Enter, and click on Sign In
- Enter your GoDaddy Customer ID/username and Password, and hit Enter
- This will take you to the My Products page where you can see your domain name
- Click on 'DNS' showing just beside the domain name
- The 'DNS Management' page will open. Click on 'CHANGE' just below 'Nameservers', as shown in the screenshot below.
- Choose 'Custom' from the menu and enter your nameservers, as shown below.
- Enter your DNS and click 'Save'
It's done — now wait for some time, and your domain's nameservers will be pointed to your new hosting.
Using this method, you can also change the nameservers for a domain that's registered with GoDaddy but hosted with a different provider.
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GoDaddy states that it can take 12 to 24 hours for the nameserver change to propagate. However, in reality, it often takes as little as 10 to 30 minutes. Propagation tends to be faster in the United States, since ISPs there clear DNS caches more frequently, whereas it may take a few hours longer in India or other countries.
Confirming the Change Has Gone Through
Rather than repeatedly refreshing your site and wondering if it's updated, use a free tool like whatsmydns.net to check NS record propagation across the world in real time. This removes the guesswork completely.
A note on GoDaddy's interface
GoDaddy periodically redesigns its account dashboard, so exact menu labels and layout may look slightly different from the screenshots above depending on when you're reading this. The core steps — sign in, find your domain's DNS settings, switch to custom nameservers, save — remain the same even when the interface changes.
If you are still not able to change the settings, feel free to reach out — I'm happy to help you get it sorted.