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When setting up an external domain, you must choose whether to use the IONOS name servers or your current name servers. We recommend choosing the IONOS name servers so that you do not have to deal with the complicated DNS settings later.
Your Current Provider's Name Servers
In certain circumstances, you may wish to choose the name servers of your current provider:
- To use the IONOS name servers, you must register them with your domain provider. If your provider does not allow other name servers, you should choose the option 'Domain provider's existing name server.'
- You should also choose this option if you do not want to use the domain exclusively with IONOS (e.g. website with IONOS but email with the domain provider) and your provider does not allow other DNS settings.
Note: If you are unsure which option is right for you, you should choose the IONOS name servers. You can configure the domain with different name servers at a later time if necessary.
Preparing the External Domain
The domain is set up in our systems once you have chosen a name server option. In most cases this is finished in 30 to 60 seconds, meaning you can start using the domain immediately. If this is not the case, we will inform you by email as soon as your external domain has been set up.
Configuring the Name Servers
Once the domain is available in our systems, the setup at IONOS is complete but the domain is not yet redirected to IONOS. After all, the domain provider does not yet know that you wish to use the domain with IONOS products.
You now have 30 days to complete the setup. If you do not complete the setup within this time, we will remove the external domain from our systems. The procedure for completing the setup will differ depending on which name servers you wish to use.
Using the IONOS Name Servers
If you want to use the IONOS name servers, you only have to enter them in your domain's DNS settings with your domain provider.
To use the default nameservers from IONOS, enter the following nameservers:
- ns1045.ui-dns.org
- ns1045.ui-dns.de
- ns1045.ui-dns.biz
- ns1045.ui-dns.com
If you have Premium Anycast enabled for your domain, enter the name servers from your IONOS account instead. You can find these by clicking on the corresponding domain in your domain overview and then going to the Nameservers category.
After you have changed the name servers at your domain provider, it can take up to 72 hours until the domain is recognized as set up in our systems.
Tip: If you don't know how to set the name servers at your domain provider, either search the provider's help section or contact the domain provider's customer service. For some providers we have already found the appropriate article in the provider's help section: GoDaddy | Namecheap | Domain.com | Google Domains | Bluehost
Using the Domain Provider's Name Servers
If you want to use the name servers of your domain provider, we need a confirmation that you are authorized to administer the domain for security reasons. For this purpose, an authentication code is displayed in your IONOS account during the setup process. To confirm your authorization, you must now create a TXT record at your domain provider that contains the authentication code as a value. Then, start the verification process in your IONOS account. Our system will now check whether a TXT record with the correct authentication code exists for your domain. If it does, the setup of the external domain will be completed automatically.
If you do not know how to create a TXT record at your domain provider, either search the provider's help section or contact the domain provider's customer service. For some providers we have already found the corresponding article for you:
Godaddy | Namecheap | Domain.com | Google Domains | Bluehost
Notes
- It may take some time before the TXT record you have created can be found for verification. Accordingly, we recommend that you wait an hour and only then start the verification process in your IONOS account.
- In the past, it was possible to complete the setup by entering the name servers independently. This is no longer possible and now leads to a corresponding error message. Instead, please create the TXT record required for verification as described above and then complete the setup through your IONOS account.