Registering and Managing Child Name Servers

Child name servers are nameservers that carry your own domain name, such as ns1.yourbusiness.com. Because the name sits inside the domain it serves, the registry must also store its IP address, in what is called a glue record. This guide explains what they are, who needs them, how to register and remove them in the Domain India client area, and the registry rules that decide whether they will work.

1. What a child name server is

Normally your domain points to nameservers that belong to someone else, such as your hosting company or a DNS provider. Their names sit in their domain, so resolvers can look them up independently.

A child name server is different: its name is inside your own domain, which creates a loop. To find yourbusiness.com, a resolver is told to ask ns1.yourbusiness.com — but to find ns1.yourbusiness.com, it would have to ask yourbusiness.com first.

The registry breaks the loop by storing the IP address of the host alongside the delegation. That stored address is the glue record. Registering a child name server means creating that host, with its IP address, at the registry for your extension.

Only the owner of a domain can register child name servers under it: the owner of yourbusiness.com can create ns1.yourbusiness.com, and nobody else can.

2. Who needs one (and who does not)

3. What you need before you start

4. Register a child name server in the client area

For domains registered with Domain India, the Nameservers tab has a collapsible Custom nameservers (glue records) section, marked Advanced.

Two things to know: the section appears only for domains where the request can be sent to the registry from your account, so if you do not see it, or the request is refused, open a support ticket with the hostnames and IP addresses. And it takes one IPv4 address per hostname: for an IPv6 address, or more than one address on the same host, ask support.

5. Then point domains at your new nameservers

Registering ns1.yourbusiness.com does not change any domain's nameservers by itself. It only creates the host. After that:

1. Set the nameservers of each domain you want to serve to ns1.yourbusiness.com and ns2.yourbusiness.com. For a domain in the Domain India client area, that is the Edit button at the top of the same Nameservers tab.
2. Make sure a DNS zone for each of those domains exists on your server, with the right A, MX and TXT records.
3. Allow up to 24-48 hours for the change to reach every network.

Check the result with a lookup rather than a browser:

dig A ns1.yourbusiness.com +short      # should return your server's IP address
dig NS clientdomain.com +short         # should return ns1/ns2.yourbusiness.com
dig A clientdomain.com @ns1.yourbusiness.com +short  # your server answers for the domain

On Windows, use nslookup ns1.yourbusiness.com and nslookup -type=ns clientdomain.com.

6. Changing or removing a child name server

The list in the client area shows each hostname with its IP address and a Remove button.

• To change the IP address, remove the entry and add it again with the new address. Do this only when the new server is ready: any domain using that nameserver stops resolving through it in the meantime.
• To remove a host, click the remove button and confirm. The client area warns that any domain delegated to it will stop resolving through it, so repoint those domains first and wait for the change to spread.
• The registry can refuse a removal while the host is still in use as a nameserver by another domain, including domains belonging to other people. Move those domains to different nameservers first.

7. Registry rules worth knowing

Rules differ between extensions, and the registry is the final authority. These points hold almost everywhere:

• The IP address must belong to a server that answers DNS queries. If nothing answers on port 53, the domain fails to resolve.
• Two nameservers on two different IP addresses are the safe setup. Two names on one machine look like redundancy without being it.
• The name must be inside the domain you own. You cannot register ns1.someoneelse.com.
• Some extensions apply their own limits, for example on how many addresses a host may have or whether IPv6 is accepted. If a request is refused, the registry's message explains why; send it to support if it is not clear.
• A host cannot be deleted while it is in use by any domain as a nameserver. This is the most common error people meet.

8. Where Domain India fits

Child name servers are registered at the registrar that holds the domain, so for a domain registered with Domain India you do it in the client area, on the domain's Nameservers tab. If the section is not available for your domain, open a ticket with the hostnames and IP addresses and support will register them at the registry. Support is available by 24/7 live chat and tickets, with a first response within 15 minutes; resolution can take longer. There is no phone support.

If you want your own nameservers because you run your own server, a VPS gives you full root access and a dedicated IPv4 address, from ₹553 a month (Domain India list price on 19 September 2026, excluding 18% GST). If you sell hosting under your own brand, Domain India's DirectAdmin reseller plans list private nameservers among their features, and support supplies the IP addresses to use.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to set this up? Sign in to the client area to open your domain's Nameservers tab, read How do I change my nameservers for the delegation step, compare VPS plans, or open a support ticket with your hostnames and IP addresses.