How to Create a Child Nameserver in WHM

Last updated: January 22nd 2025

dns configuration cPanel whm Become an author

Introduction

Imagine the internet is like a giant phone book. Instead of looking up someone’s phone number, you’re looking up the “address” of a website (called an IP address). These IP addresses are long strings of numbers like 192.168.1.1, which are hard to remember. That’s where nameservers come in—they act like translators that help you connect a website name (like example.com) to its actual IP address.

Child nameservers, also called private or custom nameservers, are a special type of DNS nameservers associated with your own domain name. Instead of using the default nameservers provided by your domain registrar or hosting provider (like ns1.provider.com), you can create personalized nameservers branded with your domain name.
 

Prerequisites

  • A Webdock cloud Ubuntu server with cPanel installed.
  • You have shell (SSH) access to your VPS.
  • A valid and registered domain name.

Installation

Step 1

You may log in to your WHM by using the URL below.

https://IPAddress:2087

Replace “IPAddress” with your server IP address.

Search for “Basic WebHost Manager® Setup” in the WHM search bar and proceed.


0.png

Step 2

Scroll down to the Nameservers section and here, you’ll type in the nameservers you want to create, like ns1.testchildns.my.eu.org and ns2.testchildns.my.eu.org.

In this example, I will be using the test domain testchildns.my.eu.org

1.png

In this step, You’re defining the names you want for your custom nameservers. These will serve as the “labels” for your private DNS setup.

Step 3

Click on Configure Address Records, type your server’s IP address into the IPv4 box, and hit the blue Configure Address Records button.

2.png

Step 4

Once done, do the same for ns2 and click Save Changes.

3.png

For each nameserver, you’ll connect it to your server by entering its IP address in the box. This helps the internet know where to find your custom nameservers! :D

Step 5

Once completed, you should see a confirmation screen indicating that your custom nameservers are set up correctly.

4.png

Changing domain nameserver

Once you’ve finished setting everything up in WHM, it’s time to update the domain’s nameservers with your registrar. The exact steps might be a little different depending on your registrar, so don’t hesitate to reach out to them if you need help.

By doing this, your domain registrar will send all requests—like when someone visits your website or sends you an email—to the server IP address you’ve set up.

5.png

It should look something like this: Just let your registrar know you want to update the domain’s nameservers to your new child nameservers or add glue records. They’ll take care of it for you! ;)

Common domain provider instructions

Below are some links to instructions on adding nameservers for common domain providers. If you use a different domain provider that you feel should be included here, please be in touch.

Conclusion

Yay! You’ve made your very own special child nameserver. Now people can find your website using your cool custom nameservers!🎉

This article was written by Webdock Support Specialist Taufiq Zainal. Taufiq is passionate about Cloud Hosting and helping Webdock Customers succeed wherever he can.

Related articles