Nameservers decide which provider answers DNS queries for your name. By default, my.box handles this for you, so you can manage records right here. If you would rather run DNS somewhere else, you can point your name at a different provider's nameservers. You manage this on the Web tab, which appears once DNS is active.

Out of the box, your name uses Box's default nameservers. While you are on the defaults, the DNS records and forwarding you set in my.box are live and authoritative. Most people never need to change this.

To use another DNS provider, open the Nameservers card and choose Add Nameserver. Enter the provider's nameserver hostname (for example, ns1.example.com) in the Value field and save. Repeat to add the others your provider gives you.

You must set at least two custom nameservers before the change takes effect. If you add only one, my.box holds it and shows a reminder that a second is needed; nothing switches until you have two. Once two or more are in place, your default nameservers show as Overridden.

When you switch to custom nameservers, DNS for your name is answered by the other provider, not by my.box. The DNS records and forwarding you set here stop being authoritative. Recreate any records you need at your new provider before switching, so your website and email keep working.

To return to Box's nameservers, remove your custom entries. When the last custom nameserver is removed, my.box reverts the name to its default nameservers and confirms the change.