Using custom nameservers

If you'd rather run DNS yourself, use a third party (Cloudflare directly, Route 53, deSEC, etc.), or have a specific architecture that needs custom nameservers, you can. We don't require you to use ours.

When you'd want custom nameservers

The good reasons:

• You're running a multi-host setup — DNS as a single source of truth across multiple hosting providers.
• You're using Cloudflare directly — for advanced features like Workers, R2, or full-zone control.
• You have specific compliance requirements — DNSSEC at a particular provider, audited DNS infrastructure, etc.
• You're a DNS hobbyist — you actually enjoy this.

The not-so-good reasons:

• "I don't trust Cloudflare." → We're not asking you to trust Cloudflare directly; we just use it as our DNS layer.
• "I read somewhere I should." → Probably not. The default is the right choice for 99% of customers.

How to set custom nameservers

1. Go to Domains and click the domain.
2. Open the Nameservers subpage.
3. Replace our nameservers with your custom pair (typically 2–4 nameservers from your DNS provider).
4. Save.

The change propagates within minutes for our domains; up to 24 hours globally as caches expire.

After switching

Once you're on custom nameservers:

• DNS for the domain is no longer ours. Records you set up at our nameservers stop being authoritative — make sure the records exist at your new DNS provider before switching.
• MX, A, CNAME, and TXT records all need to be set up at your new provider.
• SSL still works — Let's Encrypt validates via HTTP, not DNS, on our hosting. (If you've configured DNS-01 challenge, you'll need to manage CAA and TXT records at your provider.)
• Cloudflare proxy mode through our shared toggle no longer applies — you'd configure proxy directly in your Cloudflare account.

What we still handle

Even with custom nameservers, we still handle:

• Domain registration, renewal, and ownership.
• WHOIS privacy.
• Transfer authorization.
• Registrant contacts.

These are registry-level operations and unaffected by where DNS points.

Pointing your A record back at our hosting

If you're using custom nameservers but want your domain to load from your Flashcloud hosting, set up these records at your DNS provider:

• @ A record → the IP address from your service detail in Services.
• www A record → same IP (or a CNAME to @).
• MX records → your email provider's. If using our hosting email, point at mail.yourdomain.com or the value we provide.

Make sure the records propagate before any old DNS expires, or you'll have downtime.

Going back to our nameservers

If custom DNS turns out to be more hassle than it's worth, switching back is just as easy:

1. Open the Nameservers subpage.
2. Click Reset to defaults (or manually set ns1.flashcloud.com and ns2.flashcloud.com).
3. Save.

We'll restore the standard DNS records for any active hosting on the domain. Your site stays up.