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How to modify the DNS servers of an OVHcloud domain name
Find out how to modify the DNS servers for your domain name registered at OVHcloud
2025-03-17

Objective

DNS stands for Domain Name System and is a set of elements (DNS servers, DNS zones, etc.) that map a domain name to an IP address.

Refer to our guides “Everything you need to know about DNS servers” and “Everything you need to know about DNS zone” for more information.

This guide explains modify the DNS servers for your OVHcloud domain name in 3 steps.

<iframe class="video" width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/BvrUi26ShzI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Requirements

[!primary]

A registrar is an organization authorized to sell domain names. OVHcloud is one of these registrars.

If your domain name is not registered with OVHcloud, you will need to modify the DNS servers at the registrar where your domain name is currently registered.

Instructions

[!alert]

Take care when modifying a domain name’s DNS servers.

A configuration error can make your website inaccessible, or prevent your email addresses from receiving new emails. By learning more about the consequences of modifying your DNS zone, you can get a better understanding of the changes you will make.

When you modify your domain name’s DNS servers, you are changing its DNS configuration. The new DNS configuration replaces the old one and is stored on the newly-defined DNS servers. Technically, the domain name then uses a new DNS zone.

However, it is essential to consider the following points:

  • When changing DNS servers (from external DNS to OVHcloud DNS, for example), the content of the old DNS zone is not automatically replicated in the new one. Ensure that your new DNS zone contains all of the DNS records required for the services associated with your domain name to work correctly (for example, your website and email addresses).
  • If you do not want to modify the DNS servers but one or more records from your current DNS zone, please refer to our guide: “Editing an OVHcloud DNS zone”.
  • Some of the organizations that manage domain name extensions (registries) have specific requirements regarding DNS servers (quantity of name servers, value of records, etc.). If in doubt, check with the registry responsible for the domain name extension.

1 - Access OVHcloud DNS server management

To do this, click on the tabs below to view each of the 4 steps.

[!tabs] Step 1

Log in to the OVHcloud Control Panel, then go to the Web Cloud{.action} section.

Web Cloud{.thumbnail}

Step 2

Click the Domain names{.action} menu, then choose the domain name concerned.

Domain Names{.thumbnail}

Step 3

Select the DNS servers{.action} tab once you have clicked on the domain concerned.

Step 4

The table that opens will contain the DNS servers currently set by OVHcloud for your domain name. Several DNS servers can be listed, each with its own row in the table.

[!primary]

When you use the OVHcloud DNS servers, the numbers in the server names have no link to the service(s) you are using. Only the Anycast DNS option uses specific DNS servers (ns200.anycast.me and dns200.anycast.me) automatically assigned to you when subsribing to the option.

DNS servers{.thumbnail}

2 - Modify DNS servers

[!primary]

All of the features described below can be found in the DNS servers{.action} tab, mentioned in step 1 of this guide.

To modify the DNS servers, click the Modify DNS servers{.action} button on the right-hand side of the table “DNS servers”. Depending on your screen resolution, the button may be below the table.

A new page appears, and you have three options for editing.

Modify DNS servers{.thumbnail}

Option 1 - Use OVHcloud default DNS

Modify DNS servers{.thumbnail}

This option automatically applies the existing OVHcloud DNS zone configuration for your domain name. First, check that a DNS zone exists for your domain name at OVHcloud.

[!primary]

If necessary, please refer to the guides “Editing an OVHcloud DNS zone” and/or “Creating an OVHcloud DNS zone for a domain name” to check if an OVHcloud DNS zone exists for your domain name.

To use OVHcloud’s default DNS servers, click Apply configuration{.action}. The following window will appear:

Modify DNS servers{.thumbnail}

It summarizes the names of the two DNS servers that will be applied to your domain name. They must have one of the following 3 forms:

  • nsXX.ovh.net and dnsXX.ovh.net or, nsXXX.ovh.net and dnsXXX.ovh.net (where each X represents a number between 0 and 9)
  • nsXX.ovh.ca and dnsXX.ovh.ca or, nsXXX.ovh.ca and dnsXXX.ovh.ca (where each X represents a number between 0 and 9)
  • ns200.anycast.me and dns200.anycast.me (if you have subscribed to the DNS anycast option)

If they correspond to the ones you want to apply, click Apply{.action}.

This way, the 2 DNS servers declared (in the NS records in the OVHcloud DNS zone) will be used for your domain name.

The old DNS servers that have been declared, and the DNS configuration that they applied, will be disabled for your domain name. The OVHcloud DNS zone will become the active DNS zone for your domain name.

Option 2 - Use my own DNS

Modify DNS servers{.thumbnail}

This option allows you to declare the DNS servers of an unmanaged DNS zone from the OVHcloud Control Panel.

This can be, for example:

  • External DNS servers provided by one of our competitors.
  • Your own DNS servers if you host your DNS zone on one of your servers. These DNS servers can also be hosted on an OVHcloud infrastructure (dedicated server, VPS, etc.).

[!success]

Before you add a DNS server, check that the server can be reached and that it contains a DNS zone for your domain name. Also, make sure that this DNS zone contains all the records of type NS to all the DNS servers that you are going to declare for your domain name.

For example: you want to declare the DNS servers ns1.dns-server.tld, ns2.dns-server.tld and ns3.dns-server.tld for your domain name. You will then need to check that the following three NS records are present in the 3 DNS zones hosted on these 3 DNS servers:

  • “Your own domain (or just an @)” IN NS ns1.dns-server.tld.
  • “Your own domain (or just an @)” IN NS ns2.dns-server.tld.
  • “Your own domain (or just an @)” IN NS ns3.dns-server.tld.

To enter one of your own DNS servers, fill in the 2 forms in the box, as shown below:

  • DNS server: The name of the DNS server to apply to your domain name.
  • Associated IP (optional): IP address (IPv4 or IPv6) of the DNS server entered. You can only enter one IP address in this form.

Warning

Each input box (visible in the previous screenshot) can only contain one DNS server at a time.

In addition, an information note with a blue background, located above the first box, indicates the range of DNS servers that you can declare for your domain name. These values vary depending on the domain name extension.

Once you have entered the information, click on the +{.action} button to the right of the two forms. You can use it to add the DNS server, and a new entry box will appear beneath the previous one.

Repeat this operation as many times as you have DNS servers to add, within the limits specified in the information note.
Click the +{.action} button for each DNS server to confirm entering and adding it.

Once all of your own DNS servers have been added, click Apply configuration{.action}. The following window will appear:

Modify DNS servers{.thumbnail}

It summarizes the DNS server names that will be applied to your domain name. If they correspond to the ones you want to apply, click Apply{.action}.

The old DNS servers that have been declared, and the DNS configuration that they applied, will be disabled for your domain name. The DNS zone declared on your own DNS servers will become the active DNS zone for your domain name.

Option 3 - Use OVHcloud DNS and my own DNS

Modify DNS servers{.thumbnail}

This option allows you the use of your own DNS servers while keeping the OVHcloud DNS servers active for your domain name. This combination allows you, for example, to ensure even more access to the different services associated with your domain name (web hosting, email servers, etc.). If a group of DNS servers becomes unavailable for a few minutes, the other DNS servers declared can take over.

However, please ensure that the DNS zone configurations on the various DNS servers concerned are correctly configured to work together. Most of the time, all DNS servers will be operational. They will all be able to respond to requests made randomly on the DNS network.

Warning

  1. Be careful if you decide to use the latter option. This is because it requires advanced knowledge of how the DNS network, DNS servers and DNS zones work.
  2. The DNSSEC option must be disabled to combine the use of your own DNS servers with OVHcloud DNS.
  3. Please ensure that you do not mix an OVHcloud DNS server group with another OVHcloud DNS server group. For example, dns19.ovh.net and ns19.ovh.net correspond to a group of OVHcloud DNS servers that are synchronized. At OVHcloud, DNS server groups are identified using the number in the server names. Two OVHcloud DNS servers are part of the same DNS server group, as long as they share the same number. For example, dns19.ovh.net and ns19.ovh.net.

[!success]

Before you add a DNS server, check that the server can be reached and that it contains a DNS zone for your domain name. Also, make sure that this DNS zone contains all the records of type NS to all the DNS servers that you are going to declare for your domain name.

For example: you want to declare the DNS servers ns1.dns-server.tld, dnsXX.ovh.net and nsXX.ovh.net for your domain name. You will then need to check that the following three NS records are present in the 3 DNS zones hosted on these 3 DNS servers:

  • “Your own domain (or just an @)” IN NS ns1.dns-server.tld.
  • “Your own domain (or just an @)” IN NS dnsXX.ovh.net.
  • “Your own domain (or just an @)” IN NS nsXX.ovh.net.

To enter one of your own DNS servers, fill in the 2 forms in the box as below:

  • DNS server: The name of the DNS server to apply to your domain name. -Associated IP (optional): IP address (IPv4 or IPv6) of the DNS server entered. You can only enter one IP address in this form.

Warning

Each input box (visible in the previous screenshot) can only contain one DNS server at a time. A DNS server corresponds to a sidebar.

In addition, an information note with a blue background, located above the first box, indicates the range of DNS servers that you can declare for your domain name. These values vary depending on the domain name extension.

Once you have entered the information, click on the +{.action} button to the right of the two forms. You can use it to add the DNS server, and a new entry box will appear beneath the previous one.

Repeat this operation as many times as you have DNS servers to add, within the limits specified in the information note.
Click the +{.action} button for each DNS server to confirm entering and adding it.

Once all of your own DNS servers have been added, click Apply configuration{.action}. The following window will appear:

Modify DNS servers{.thumbnail}

It summarizes the DNS server names that will be applied to your domain name. If they correspond to the ones you want to apply, click Apply{.action}.

The old DNS servers that have been declared, and the DNS configuration that they applied, will be disabled for your domain name. The DNS zones on your own DNS servers and on the OVHcloud DNS servers will become the ones active for your domain name.

3 - Taking into account the modification of the DNS servers

Once you have made your changes, two successive periods must be taken into account:

  • The registry that manages your domain name extension (for example, the .fr extensions registry) must be informed of the DNS change made on the OVHcloud side. Follow the progress of this operation in your OVHcloud Control Panel. To do this, go to the Web Cloud{.action} section, then click Ongoing operations{.action}.
  • Once you have updated the registry information, please wait 48 hours for the changes to be fully propagated and effective.

Go further

Everything you need to know about DNS servers

Everything you need to know about DNS zone

Everything you need to know about DNS records

Editing an OVHcloud DNS zone.

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