If you have a domain registered at IONOS and need to find your nameservers, change them, or understand how they work, you are in the right place.
I walked through the IONOS control panel to document exactly how nameserver management works, including the specific screens, buttons, and settings you will encounter.
What Are the Default IONOS Nameservers?
IONOS uses its own proprietary nameservers for all domains registered through them. Unlike most providers that use two nameservers, IONOS assigns four nameservers to each domain by default.
The format follows this pattern:
- nsXXXX.ui-dns.com
- nsXXXX.ui-dns.org
- nsXXXX.ui-dns.de
- nsXXXX.ui-dns.biz
The “XXXX” is a number that varies by domain. IONOS spreads nameserver assignments across numbers between 016 and 126 for security and redundancy purposes. This means your domain’s nameservers will not be identical to someone else’s IONOS domain.
For example, one domain might use:
- ns1085.ui-dns.com
- ns1031.ui-dns.org
- ns1092.ui-dns.de
- ns1069.ui-dns.biz
While another IONOS domain might use completely different numbers. This is normal and by design.
If you need to point an external domain to IONOS, the standard nameservers to enter at your other registrar are:
- ns1045.ui-dns.org
- ns1045.ui-dns.de
- ns1045.ui-dns.biz
- ns1045.ui-dns.com
However, if you have Premium Anycast enabled on your IONOS account, your nameservers will be different. You can find your specific nameservers by logging into your IONOS account and checking the Name Server tab for your domain (steps below).
How to Find Your IONOS Nameservers
Here is exactly how to locate the nameservers currently assigned to your IONOS domain.
Step 1: Log in to Your IONOS Account
Go to the IONOS website and sign in with your Customer ID or domain name and password. After logging in, you will land on the main dashboard showing your product tiles.
Click on Domains & SSL (the tile labeled “Manage Internet address”).
Step 2: Select Your Domain
You will see a list of all domains in your account. Click on the domain you want to check.
This opens the domain’s management page with several tabs across the top: Details, Subdomains, Privacy & Contact Details, Renewal & Transfer, Name Server, and DNS.
Click the Name Server tab.
Step 3: View Your Current Nameservers
The Name Server page displays your current nameserver configuration. If you have not made any changes, you will see the message: “You are using the IONOS name server (default setting).”
Below that, a table lists all four of your IONOS nameservers with their addresses and the type “IONOS Nameserver.” For example:
| Name Server | Type |
| ns1085.ui-dns.com | IONOS Nameserver |
| ns1031.ui-dns.org | IONOS Nameserver |
| ns1092.ui-dns.de | IONOS Nameserver |
| ns1069.ui-dns.biz | IONOS Nameserver |
Your numbers will be different. This is your domain’s specific nameserver assignment.
A “Use custom name servers” button sits above the table. This is what you click when you want to change your nameservers to point to another provider.
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How to Change IONOS Nameservers (Point to Another Provider)
If you are moving your website hosting to another provider (like Hostinger, Cloudflare, SiteGround, or any other host), you need to update your nameservers so your domain points to the new host’s servers. Here is how.
Step 1: Get Your New Nameservers
Before changing anything in IONOS, get the nameserver addresses from your new hosting provider. Every host provides at least two nameservers. Here are some common examples:
- Hostinger: ns1.dns-parking.com, ns2.dns-parking.com
- Cloudflare: Assigned per account (e.g., ada.ns.cloudflare.com, lee.ns.cloudflare.com)
- SiteGround: Varies by server (check your SiteGround dashboard)
- Bluehost: ns1.bluehost.com, ns2.bluehost.com
- GoDaddy: Varies (typically ns07.domaincontrol.com format)
Copy these down before proceeding.
Step 2: Navigate to the Name Server Tab
Log in to your IONOS account, go to Domains & SSL, select your domain, and click the Name Server tab (same steps as the “How to Find” section above).
Step 3: Click “Use Custom Name Servers”
On the Name Server page, click the “Use custom name servers” button. This opens a form titled “Use custom name servers.”
At the top, you will see two important notices:
- “You can enter custom name servers if you want to transfer the DNS administration for your domain to another provider or if you want to operate your own name server.”
- A warning in orange text: “Please note that your IONOS DNS zone settings are no longer used with custom name servers.”
That second warning is critical. Once you switch to custom nameservers, all DNS records you configured through IONOS (A records, CNAME records, MX records for email, TXT records) will stop being used.
Your new DNS provider will need to have those records configured instead. If you are using IONOS email, this will break your email unless you set up the correct MX records at the new provider.
It also notes: “Before you switch, the necessary DNS entries must be made with the respective provider or external name server.”
Step 4: Enter Your New Nameservers
The form provides four fields:
- Name server 1 (required)
- Name server 2 (required)
- Name server 3 (optional)
- Name server 4 (optional)
Enter the nameservers from your new hosting provider. Most providers only require two nameservers, so you fill in Name server 1 and Name server 2 and leave fields 3 and 4 empty.
For example, to point to Hostinger:
- Name server 1: ns1.dns-parking.com
- Name server 2: ns2.dns-parking.com
Step 5: Save Your Changes
Click Save. IONOS will process the change. You should see a confirmation that the nameserver update was successful.
Nameserver changes take up to 24 to 48 hours to propagate globally. During this propagation period, some visitors may still see your old website while others see the new one. This is normal and temporary.
How to Reset Back to IONOS Default Nameservers
If you previously changed your nameservers to a custom provider and want to switch back to IONOS, the process is simple. Go to the Name Server tab for your domain and click “Reset DNS or usage.” This restores the default IONOS nameservers immediately.
After resetting, your IONOS DNS zone settings will be active again, and your domain will point back to IONOS’s infrastructure. Allow up to 48 hours for full propagation.
How to Point an External Domain to IONOS
If you registered your domain with another provider (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc.) and want to use it with IONOS hosting, email, or other IONOS products, you need to change the nameservers at your other registrar to point to IONOS.
Enter these IONOS nameservers at your external registrar:
- ns1045.ui-dns.org
- ns1045.ui-dns.de
- ns1045.ui-dns.biz
- ns1045.ui-dns.com
The exact steps to change nameservers vary by registrar, but the process is generally: log in to your registrar, find your domain’s DNS or nameserver settings, select “Use custom nameservers,” and enter the four IONOS addresses above.
After making the change, it can take up to 72 hours for IONOS to recognize the external domain. Once recognized, you can manage the domain’s DNS settings from your IONOS control panel.
Note: If you have Premium Anycast enabled, use the nameservers shown in your IONOS account (found under the domain’s Name Server tab) instead of the generic ones listed above.
Common Nameserver Scenarios
Scenario 1: Moving Your Website to a New Host
You registered your domain at IONOS but want to host your website with another provider. Change IONOS nameservers to your new host’s nameservers using the steps above. Your domain stays registered at IONOS (you still renew it there), but your website and DNS are managed by the new host.
Before you switch: Make sure your new host has your website files uploaded and DNS records configured. If you switch nameservers before the new host is ready, your site will go down.
Scenario 2: Using Cloudflare for DNS/CDN
Cloudflare requires you to change your nameservers to Cloudflare’s assigned pair. Follow the custom nameserver steps above, entering the Cloudflare nameservers provided during your Cloudflare account setup.
Once propagated, Cloudflare manages your DNS, and you configure records in the Cloudflare dashboard rather than IONOS.
Scenario 3: Keeping Your Domain at IONOS but Hosting Email Elsewhere
If you only want to change your email provider (e.g., switching to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365), you do not need to change your nameservers.
Instead, go to the DNS tab (not the Name Server tab) and update your MX records to point to your new email provider. Changing MX records does not affect your website hosting.
Scenario 4: Pointing an External Domain to IONOS Hosting
You bought a domain at GoDaddy or Namecheap and want to use it with IONOS web hosting. Enter the IONOS nameservers at your external registrar as described in the “How to Point an External Domain to IONOS” section above.
Troubleshooting IONOS Nameserver Issues
Changes Not Taking Effect
Nameserver changes take up to 48 hours to propagate globally (up to 72 hours for external domains being pointed to IONOS). If your changes have not taken effect after this window, double-check that you saved the changes correctly and that there are no typos in the nameserver addresses.
You can verify your current nameservers using a free WHOIS lookup tool or a DNS propagation checker like whatsmydns.net.
Website Down After Changing Nameservers
If your website went down after a nameserver change, the most common causes are:
- New host is not ready. Your new hosting provider does not have your website files, database, or DNS records configured. Your nameservers are pointing to an empty server.
- Propagation in progress. Some users see the old site, some see nothing, some see the new site. Wait for propagation to complete.
- Typo in nameserver addresses. Go back to the Name Server tab and verify the entries are correct.
Email Stopped Working
Changing nameservers transfers all DNS management to the new provider. If your MX records (which control email routing) are not configured at the new provider, your email will break. Solution: configure the correct MX records at your new DNS provider. If you were using IONOS email, the MX records you need are available in the IONOS help documentation.
“Use Custom Name Servers” Button Not Appearing
Make sure you are on the Name Server tab, not the DNS tab. These are separate tabs in the domain management section. The Name Server tab controls which nameservers your domain uses. The DNS tab controls individual DNS records within the active nameserver zone.
Nameserver Numbers Don’t Match What You Expected
IONOS assigns different numbers to different domains (ns1085, ns1031, ns1092, etc.). This is normal. Your domain’s nameserver numbers will not match examples you see online or even other domains in your own IONOS account. Each domain gets its own set.
And if you need help managing your domain, check out our guides on how to transfer a domain to IONOS and how to transfer a domain from IONOS to Hostinger. For a full breakdown of IONOS hosting services, read our IONOS hosting review.
