How to Create Private Nameservers
Private nameservers use branded hostnames for an authoritative DNS service you or your provider administers. Register the required host and glue information, publish matching address records and configure the service and zones before delegating clients. In WHM, software and permissions vary. Verify one client’s authoritative answers; glue alone does not make a DNS server operational.
For resellers and VPS administrators setting up branded authoritative DNS without confusing host registration, zone records and domain delegation.
knowledge
- Read time
- 5 min
- Sections
- 9
- Updated
- 14 Nov 2026
- Written by
- WebJi® team
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026.
What private nameservers are
A private nameserver is a DNS hostname on a domain you control, usually ns1 and ns2, pointed at the server that answers DNS for your customers. It is not the host's default nameserver name, and it is not the Private DNS switch on a phone.
Glue exists because of a loop. A resolver needs the IP of ns1.yourbrand.in before it can ask that host about yourbrand.in. The registry stores that IP beside the host record. Without the glue, the hostname cannot be found.
- Glue is the hostname plus its IP at the registrar, stored at the registry.
- The A record is that same hostname and IP inside the DNS zone.
- The NS record is what you set on a client domain so resolvers ask your server.
| Piece | Where you set it | What it must say |
|---|---|---|
| Glue | Registrar host form, stored at the registry | ns1 and ns2, each with its server IP |
| A record | Brand domain zone, at the registrar or in WHM | The same hostnames and the same IPs |
| NS at the client | The client domain's registrar | ns1.yourbrand.in and ns2.yourbrand.in |
| SOA and NS in the zone | WHM on your server | The same two hostnames the registrar has |
Why resellers need private nameservers
Customers then see your hostname in WHOIS and at their registrar, not the upstream host's brand. That is the white-label DNS a reseller or VPS account is for.
When the server IP changes, you edit the glue. Customers keep ns1 and ns2, so you do not ask every domain owner to type new nameservers. A normal shared account cannot administer the server’s authoritative DNS service; provider-supported vanity DNS is a separate option. Those accounts stay on the provider's nameservers.
WebJi® does not sell private nameservers as their own product. A VPS or reseller account is quoted by email before payment. The account pages are reseller hosting and VPS hosting.
How to create private nameservers, in order
Create private nameservers by coordinating registrar host registration, matching address records, an active authoritative DNS service and client delegation. A saved hostname or glue record alone does not start a DNS server or create the client zones.
- Copy the two DNS IP addresses from the VPS or reseller server. Keep them different when the registry requires it.
- At the brand domain's registrar, register ns1 and ns2 with those IPs on the host form, not the delegation form.
- Add the same A records for ns1 and ns2 wherever the brand domain's DNS is edited.
- In WHM, confirm PowerDNS or BIND where the operating system supports it, save ns1 and ns2 in Basic WebHost Manager Setup, and check the zone SOA and NS records.
- Point one client domain at those two hosts.
- Test the glue, the host A records, and that client domain. Wait up to 48 hours, then move the other domains.
How to register private nameserver glue
Register the hosts on the brand domain, which is the parent of ns1 and ns2. Open the registrar form that asks for a hostname and an IP. The label is often register nameserver, child host, or personal DNS.
A form with only nameserver boxes and no IP field changes delegation. It is the wrong screen, and it cannot work until the hosts exist. Saving glue does not point the brand domain or any client domain at those names.
Use the two DNS addresses from the VPS or reseller server. Some registries reject two hosts on one IP, and some accept IPv4 only. You know glue is stored when a query for the host at the parent registry returns that IP.
How to add A records for private nameservers
The glue IP and the zone's A record have to match. If they differ, some resolvers follow the glue and others follow the zone, so the name works on only part of the internet.
If the brand domain still uses the registrar's DNS, add the A records in that panel. If DNS already runs on your server, add them in the WHM Zone Editor. You know this worked when dig for ns1 and ns2 returns those IPs.
How to set private nameservers in WHM
On a cPanel VPS or reseller server, WHM is where the zone claims authority. Open Nameserver Selection and confirm PowerDNS or BIND where the operating system supports it. Then open Basic WebHost Manager Setup and replace the nameserver fields with your ns1 and ns2.
Verify any address WHM offers against the DNS addresses assigned by the provider before saving it. That writes A records into the brand zone. Open Zone Editor anyway and check the addresses against the glue. An account without WHM keeps the host's nameservers.
You know this worked when the WHM fields show your hostnames and the zone NS set lists the intended servers and its SOA names the designated primary. A mismatch is why one network resolves the domain and another does not.
The cPanel Nameserver Selection documentation lists PowerDNS, supported BIND and Disabled, with PowerDNS as the default. Reseller permissions can limit access. Confirm the zone exists and the assigned DNS service answers before delegating a customer domain.
How to point client domains at private nameservers
After the glue answers, set each client domain to ns1.yourbrand.in and ns2.yourbrand.in at that domain's registrar. Do not create glue on the client domain. The hostname's parent is your brand domain, and the glue is already there.
Delegation uses a different form from host registration. Those clicks are covered in how to change nameservers. You know a client domain moved when dig NS returns your two hosts.
How to test private nameserver propagation
Compare authoritative responses and cached answers before deciding whether publication or caching is the problem. Host-record publication and resolver caching have their own timing; there is no universal deadline.
Check the registered nameserver addresses, their authoritative A or AAAA records, and the NS delegation for one test client domain. The brand domain may retain a different DNS provider; it does not have to use the private nameservers merely because their names are registered beneath it.
Move a single client domain first. If it resolves, move the rest. A delegated server that does not answer authoritatively for the zone needs service and zone investigation; matching labels alone does not prove authority. The queries are the same ones in checking DNS records.
dig @203.0.113.10 client.example SOA +norecurseThis is an illustrative command: replace the address and domain with the DNS server and zone you administer. Inspect the status, answer and authority flag, not just whether any reply arrives. Local dig help confirms the server, query-type and +norecurse syntax.
How private nameservers differ from vanity DNS
A DNS network can also answer as ns1.yourbrand.in while the queries hit its cloud, not your server. You still register glue, but the IP belongs to that network and the zone is hosted there, often only on a paid tier.
This guide is the other job. Your server runs the nameserver, WHM holds the records, and the glue IPs are the ones assigned to your VPS or reseller account. WebJi® is not that DNS network.
Frequently asked questions
How do I create private nameservers for my domain?
Register glue for ns1 and ns2 at the brand domain's registrar, add matching A records, save the same names in WHM, then point each client domain at those two hosts. Test with dig before you move the rest of the domains.
What are glue records?
A glue record is the IP the registry stores for a nameserver hostname. Resolvers need it because that hostname sits inside the domain it serves, so the domain's own DNS cannot be the first place they look.
Do private nameservers work with reseller hosting?
Yes, on a reseller account or a VPS where you control DNS. Shared hosting stays on the provider's nameservers. WebJi® quotes the VPS or reseller account by email before payment. There is no separate private-nameserver charge on this page.
How long do private nameservers take to work?
Allow up to 48 hours. Registry host records often stay cached longer than a normal A record. An old answer can reflect publication, caching or configuration problems; check the authoritative delegation instead of assuming the registrar did not save.
How do I set custom nameservers in WHM?
Open Nameserver Selection and confirm PowerDNS or BIND where the operating system supports it. Then open Basic WebHost Manager Setup, replace the fields with ns1 and ns2 on your brand domain, accept the IPv4 prompts, and confirm the zone A, SOA, and NS records match the glue.
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026.
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