How Do I Change Nameservers / Dns For Bluehost?

How do i change nameservers / dns for bluehost?

If you’re moving your website to a new host, connecting a CDN, or pointing your domain to another service, you’ll need to update your nameservers or DNS settings. In Bluehost, this process is straightforward — but it’s also easy to get a few details wrong if you’ve never done it before.

Let me walk you through exactly how to change nameservers or DNS for Bluehost, with screenshots-in-words, real examples, and a few expert tips to help you avoid downtime.

Understanding What Nameservers and DNS Do

Before diving into the steps, it helps to understand what you’re actually changing.

Nameservers are like the address book for your domain. They tell browsers where to find your website. For example, when someone types yourdomain.com, the nameservers tell the browser which server to connect to.

Bluehost’s default nameservers usually look like this:

• ns1.bluehost.com
• ns2.bluehost.com

If you’re switching to another hosting provider (like Cloudflare, SiteGround, or Hostinger), you’ll replace those with the new host’s nameservers.

DNS (Domain Name System) is the broader system that connects domain names to IP addresses. Updating DNS records is useful when you want to:

• Point email to Google Workspace (via MX records)
• Connect to a website builder like Squarespace or Wix
• Use Cloudflare for performance or protection

How To Change Nameservers in Bluehost

Changing your nameservers in Bluehost takes only a few minutes, but make sure you know the new nameservers before you begin.

Here’s how to do it step-by-step:

1. Log in to your Bluehost account. Go to Bluehost.com and click Login at the top right.
2. Navigate to your domains. From your dashboard, click Domains in the left sidebar.
3. Select the domain you want to edit. Find your domain and click Manage next to it.
4. Go to the DNS tab. Once inside domain settings, click DNS at the top.
5. Switch to “Custom Nameservers.” Under the Nameservers section, choose Custom instead of Bluehost default.
6. Enter your new nameservers. For example:
   • ns1.newhost.com
   • ns2.newhost.com
7. Save your changes. Click Save or Update Nameservers to apply.

Tip: DNS changes can take up to 24–48 hours to fully propagate across the internet. During this time, your site might be temporarily unreachable or display inconsistently depending on your location.

How To Update DNS Records in Bluehost

If you don’t need to move your entire website but just need to point a subdomain or connect a service like Google Workspace, you’ll modify individual DNS records instead of changing the whole nameserver.

Here’s how to edit DNS records in Bluehost:

1. Go to Domains > Manage > DNS. From your Bluehost dashboard, click Domains, then Manage next to your domain. Select the DNS tab.
2. Scroll to “DNS Records.” You’ll see various record types like A, CNAME, MX, TXT, and SRV.
3. Edit an existing record or add a new one. Click Edit next to a record to modify it, or click Add Record to create a new entry.
4. Common record types you might change:
   • A Record: Points your domain to a specific IP address (e.g., your hosting server).
   • CNAME Record: Points a subdomain (like www) to another domain.
   • MX Record: Directs email to your email provider (like Gmail or Microsoft 365).
   • TXT Record: Used for verification (like Google Search Console).
5. Click Save.

Example: If you’re connecting Google Workspace, you’ll add the following MX record:

• Name: @
• Priority: 1
• Value: ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM

Bluehost’s interface will automatically handle formatting, so you don’t need to include trailing dots.

Verifying DNS Changes

Once you’ve updated nameservers or DNS, you’ll want to confirm everything is working correctly.

Here’s how to check propagation and verify updates:

• Use a propagation checker: Visit whatsmydns.net and enter your domain. It shows global DNS status.
• Check with command line: If you’re comfortable using terminal or command prompt, run:
  nslookup yourdomain.com
  or
  dig yourdomain.com NS
• In Bluehost dashboard: Bluehost often displays a status message under Domain > DNS confirming the last update.

Pro tip: If your website seems down right after the update, try clearing your local DNS cache. On Windows, open Command Prompt and type ipconfig /flushdns. On macOS, use sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Sometimes, even after following all steps, things don’t go smoothly. Here are a few issues you might encounter and how to fix them:

1. The site isn’t loading after changing nameservers.

• It’s likely DNS propagation delay. Wait up to 48 hours.
• Verify the new nameservers are correct and spelled properly.

2. Email stopped working.

• If you changed nameservers to a new host, make sure your MX records are copied over to the new DNS zone.

3. DNS records keep reverting.

• This usually happens when your domain is managed elsewhere (like Namecheap). You’ll need to edit DNS at your domain registrar instead of Bluehost.

4. SSL certificate error.

• After changing DNS, Bluehost or your new host might need to reissue the SSL certificate to match the updated DNS.

Expert Tips for Managing Bluehost DNS Efficiently

Here are a few practices I personally recommend to keep your DNS setup stable and future-proof:

• Document your DNS records before making changes. Take a quick screenshot or export them to a text file.
• Use TTL wisely. TTL (Time To Live) controls how long DNS data is cached. For temporary testing, set it to 300 seconds (5 minutes).
• Leverage Cloudflare. If you frequently update DNS or want performance and DDoS protection, point your domain to Cloudflare. It gives you more control and faster global resolution.
• Avoid switching nameservers unnecessarily. If your current host offers DNS management, it’s often easier to just edit DNS records there.

How Long Do DNS Changes Take on Bluehost?

This is one of the most common questions — and understandably so.

When you update nameservers, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 48 hours for the change to propagate worldwide. For DNS records, updates usually appear within a few minutes but may take up to a few hours.

Bluehost doesn’t control this timing — it’s determined by how different ISPs cache DNS information.

If you’re testing a new website or email setup, it’s best to make changes during off-peak hours and keep your old setup active until you confirm everything works.

Wrapping Up: My Recommended Practice

Changing nameservers or DNS for Bluehost is a simple process — but precision matters. Always double-check each entry, give the changes time to propagate, and keep backups of your old DNS data.

My personal recommendation: If you plan to switch hosts often or use multiple services (email, CDN, analytics), manage DNS through a dedicated provider like Cloudflare. It keeps everything centralized and easier to modify later.