Overview
Private nameservers use your own brand, such as ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com, instead of the provider's default nameservers. They require setup at both the domain registrar and the hosting server.
Steps
- Choose hostnames, usually ns1.yourdomain.com and ns2.yourdomain.com.
- At the registrar, create child nameserver or glue records for each hostname.
- Point each child nameserver to the server IP addresses supplied by your provider.
- In WHM, add or confirm the nameserver hostnames under Basic WebHost Manager Setup.
- Assign nameserver IPs if your server uses multiple IP addresses.
- Add A records for ns1 and ns2 inside the DNS zone for your domain.
- Allow DNS propagation and test with public DNS lookup tools.
Notes
Glue records are created at the registrar, not inside cPanel. DNS zone A records alone are not enough for private nameservers to work globally.
Detailed setup notes
Private nameservers need both registrar glue and DNS records. The registrar glue tells the parent registry which IP addresses belong to ns1 and ns2. The DNS zone A records let normal DNS lookups resolve those hostnames once the domain is delegated.
Verification checklist
- `ns1` and `ns2` exist as child nameservers at the registrar.
- Each child nameserver has the correct IPv4 address, and IPv6 if used.
- WHM Basic WebHost Manager Setup lists the same nameservers.
- The domain zone has A records for ns1 and ns2.
- Recursive DNS lookups return the new nameservers.
- Glue lookups at the parent registry return the expected IPs.
Common failure points
- Adding only A records but not registrar glue.
- Creating glue at the wrong registrar account.
- Using the server hostname as a nameserver.
- Changing nameservers before the destination DNS zone has all required records.
Reference links
- cPanel Nameservers: https://docs.cpanel.net/whm/server-configuration/basic-webhost-manager-setup/
- cPanel Zone Editor: https://docs.cpanel.net/cpanel/domains/zone-editor/
DNS troubleshooting flow
- Find the authoritative nameservers first.
- Edit records only at the authoritative DNS provider.
- Check root domain, www, mail, MX, TXT, and any app-specific records.
- Watch for stale IPv6, duplicate SPF, and old mail records.
- Wait for TTL expiry before assuming a change failed.
Quick support handoff
If this article does not solve the issue, open a support ticket with the domain, service name, exact error, time the problem started, and what changed recently.
