Domains » Change name servers
When you register a domain with WordPress.com, we set it up so it points to your WordPress.com blog. But you don’t have to use it that way — you can make your domain point to any site you want.
If you’re moving your site to another host, we suggest you transfer your domain to the new host so that both your domain and your hosting are managed in the same place. See the support page Transfer a domain to another registrar for more information about this.
However, in some cases, this option may not be available. For example, if you just registered your domain, you won’t be able to transfer it for 60 days. Also, some hosts simply don’t support domain registration transfers.
You can still point your domain to your new host even if you can’t transfer the registration, by changing the domain’s “name servers”.
When you change your domain’s name servers to the ones provided by your new host, your domain will point to your new host instead of WordPress.com.
Important: This information relates only to domains registered with WordPress.com. If you registered your domain elsewhere, you can contact your registrar for more information about changing the name servers. You can use the Domain Helper to check where your domain is registered.
How domains work
A domain name is like a shortcut that points to your blog. It’s not really a part of your blog: you can have a blog without a domain name, and you can have many domains pointing the same blog. Your blog is the collection of posts, comments and widgets, your theme, your settings, and everything else that your visitors see when they visit it. The domain is just a shortcut to help them get there.
If you registered a domain with WordPress.com, we make it point to your WordPress.com site, by using our own name servers. This is what they look like:
ns1.wordpress.com
ns2.wordpress.com
ns3.wordpress.com
The name servers configure your domain to point to the right host. When your domain uses the WordPress.com name servers, it points to WordPress.com. Most other hosting providers have their own name servers. If you set it to use your new host’s name servers, the domain will point to your new host.
Remember that your registered domain and your WordPress.com site are two separate things. After the transfer is complete, your WordPress.com site will still be available at its original address.
Changing domain name servers
Start by logging in to your domain manager, under Store -> Domains in your dashboard. Find the section titled Domain Administration, and then choose Make changes to DNS from the menu below it.
This will reveal a form with the information you need to log in to your domain manager. Make a note of the customer number, and choose the password you want to use with your domain manager. This password is used just for managing your domains — it won’t work anywhere else on WordPress.com.
When you’re done, click on Manage Your Domains, and enter the customer number and password you just chose to log in to the domain manager.
You may be prompted to enter a PIN for phone support. Read the instructions and enter the code, and click on Save to proceed.
Inside the domain manager, you’ll see a list of domains. Click on the domain you want to change the name servers for. If you only have one domain, just click on that one.
Under Nameservers, click on the link Set Nameservers.
Check the box labeled I have specific nameservers for my domains, and then enter your new name servers in the fields below. See below for more information about finding the name servers for your new host.
Click on OK to complete the change.
You can now close the domain manager. The change can take up to 48 hours to take effect, but it usually takes much less.
Finding out your new name servers
The new name servers you’ll need to enter depend on your new host. The best way to know for sure is to search your host’s help section or to contact their support.
This is a list of name servers for some popular hosts:
