Private nameservers (sometimes called vanity or custom nameservers) let your domain use nameservers named after your own domain, for example ns1.yourdomain.com and ns2.yourdomain.com, instead of your host's standard nameservers. They're most useful if you resell hosting, run a reseller or VPS account, or simply want your domain's technical setup to look fully branded to your business. Setting them up takes one extra step compared to using standard nameservers, because the nameserver names themselves have to be registered before your domain can actually point to them.
Before you start
You'll need:
- The domain you want to use as the base for the nameservers (for example yourdomain.com).
- The IP address of the server you want those nameservers to point to. If ZIPROF hosts your account, your welcome email or client area lists this.
- Access to manage host records/nameservers for the domain, either through your ZIPROF client area or wherever the domain is registered.
If you're on a regular shared hosting plan rather than a reseller or VPS account, check with support before setting this up. Private nameservers mainly help accounts that manage nameservers for several domains at once. For a single website, your host's standard nameservers do exactly the same job with no extra setup.
Step 1: Create host (glue) records
Before a nameserver name like ns1.yourdomain.com can be used, the domain's registry needs a host record, also called a glue record, linking that name to an IP address. Without this, other servers on the internet have no way to look up what ns1.yourdomain.com points to.
- Log in to your domain's management area: your ZIPROF client area if the domain is registered with ZIPROF, or your registrar's if it isn't.
- Find the option labeled Host Records, Child Nameservers, or Register Nameservers against the domain.
- Create two host records, commonly named ns1 and ns2, each pointing to the IP address of your hosting server.
For a .co.ke domain, this registration happens through KENIC via your registrar. For international domains such as .com or .net, it's handled through the registry that domain extension sits under. Either way, ZIPROF support can create these host records for you if you don't see the option in your own account.
Step 2: Point your domain to the new nameservers
Once the host records exist, update the domain's nameservers to the new names:
- Go to your domain's Nameservers settings.
- Replace the existing nameservers with ns1.yourdomain.com and ns2.yourdomain.com.
- Save the change.
Step 3: Confirm the DNS zone is actually set up on those nameservers
Creating the host records only tells the internet where ns1.yourdomain.com lives. It doesn't automatically copy over your DNS zone, meaning your A, MX, and other records. Make sure the server behind those nameservers is actually configured to answer DNS queries for your domain, and for any other domains you plan to point to them, before you rely on the switch. Otherwise your website and email can stop resolving once the change takes effect.
Give the change time to propagate, usually a few hours and occasionally up to 24-48 hours, before assuming something is broken. See our guide on how long DNS changes take to propagate if your site or email seems to disappear temporarily right after switching.
If anything looks wrong after switching, the fastest fix is usually to point the domain back to the previous nameservers while you double-check the host records and DNS zone, then try again once everything is confirmed correct.