NS Record Checker

Check NS (nameserver) DNS records for domains.

What does NS Record Checker do?

This actor checks NS records for domains to identify nameserver configuration and DNS hosting provider. It queries nameserver records, detects providers (Cloudflare, AWS Route 53, Google Cloud DNS, etc.), and returns sorted nameserver lists. Useful for DNS auditing, infrastructure analysis, and migration planning. Provide a list of domains and get structured results showing each domain's nameservers and detected DNS provider.

Use cases

• DevOps engineers -- verify nameserver configuration after DNS migrations to ensure domains resolve correctly
• Security analysts -- identify DNS hosting providers as part of reconnaissance or infrastructure assessments
• IT administrators -- audit nameserver settings across all company domains to detect misconfigurations
• Migration planners -- document current NS records before switching DNS providers to ensure a smooth transition
• Competitive analysts -- discover which DNS providers competitors use (Cloudflare, AWS, Google Cloud, etc.)

Why use NS Record Checker?

• Provider detection -- automatically identifies major DNS providers like Cloudflare, AWS Route 53, Google Cloud DNS, Azure DNS, and more
• Sorted nameserver lists -- nameservers are returned in alphabetical order for easy comparison
• Batch processing -- check hundreds of domains in a single run instead of querying them individually
• Structured JSON output -- each result includes the domain, nameservers, provider name, count, and error information
• Pay-per-event pricing -- only $0.001 per domain checked, making large-scale audits affordable
• No setup required -- runs entirely on Apify cloud with no infrastructure to manage

Input parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
domains	array of strings	Yes	--	List of domains to check for NS records. Example: ["google.com", "github.com"]

{
    "domains": ["google.com", "github.com", "example.com"]
}

Output example

Each domain produces a result object with the following fields:

Field	Type	Description
domain	string	The domain that was checked
hasNsRecords	boolean	Whether NS records were found
nameservers	string[]	List of nameserver hostnames, sorted alphabetically
nameserverCount	number	Number of nameservers found
provider	string/null	Detected DNS provider name, if recognized
error	string/null	Error message if the lookup failed

{
    "domain": "google.com",
    "hasNsRecords": true,
    "nameservers": ["ns1.google.com", "ns2.google.com", "ns3.google.com", "ns4.google.com"],
    "nameserverCount": 4,
    "provider": "Google Cloud DNS",
    "error": null
}

A domain using Cloudflare DNS returns:

{
    "domain": "example.com",
    "hasNsRecords": true,
    "nameservers": ["ada.ns.cloudflare.com", "john.ns.cloudflare.com"],
    "nameserverCount": 2,
    "provider": "Cloudflare",
    "error": null
}

How much does it cost?

Event	Price	Description
Start	$0.035	One-time per run
Domain checked	$0.001	Per domain checked

Example costs:

• 10 domains: $0.035 + 10 x $0.001 = $0.045
• 100 domains: $0.035 + 100 x $0.001 = $0.135
• 1,000 domains: $0.035 + 1,000 x $0.001 = $1.035

Using the Apify API

You can start NS Record Checker programmatically from your own applications using the Apify API. The following examples show how to run the actor and retrieve results.

Node.js

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: 'YOUR_TOKEN' });
const run = await client.actor('automation-lab/ns-record-checker').call({
    domains: ['google.com', 'github.com'],
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

Python

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient('YOUR_TOKEN')
run = client.actor('automation-lab/ns-record-checker').call(run_input={
    'domains': ['google.com', 'github.com'],
})
items = client.dataset(run['defaultDatasetId']).list_items().items
print(items)

Integrations

NS Record Checker works with all major integration platforms supported by Apify. Connect it to Make (formerly Integromat), Zapier, n8n, or Slack to build automated DNS monitoring workflows. Export results directly to Google Sheets for collaborative tracking or use webhooks to trigger alerts when a run completes. You can also chain this actor with other DNS checkers (MX, CNAME, AAAA) for comprehensive domain audits.

Common integration patterns include:

• Google Sheets -- export nameserver data and detected providers for infrastructure documentation and reporting
• Slack -- receive instant alerts when scheduled runs detect unexpected nameserver changes across your domains
• Zapier / Make -- trigger NS record checks when new domains are added to your portfolio and store provider information
• Webhooks -- receive results via POST request for real-time processing in your DNS management systems

Tips and best practices

• Check root domains only -- NS records are authoritative for the root domain (e.g., example.com). Subdomains inherit their parent's nameservers unless explicitly delegated.
• Compare nameserver counts -- most properly configured domains have 2-4 nameservers for redundancy. A single nameserver could indicate a configuration issue.
• Use provider detection for intelligence -- the provider field reveals whether a domain uses Cloudflare (often indicating they use Cloudflare's CDN and security features), AWS Route 53, or other platforms.
• Batch your requests -- running one actor call with many domains is cheaper than many separate runs, since the $0.035 start fee is charged only once per run.
• Schedule regular audits -- use Apify Schedules to detect unexpected nameserver changes, which could indicate DNS hijacking or unauthorized provider switches.

FAQ

What is an NS record? An NS (Name Server) record specifies which DNS servers are authoritative for a domain. These servers respond to DNS queries for that domain's records (A, MX, CNAME, etc.).

How does provider detection work? The actor matches nameserver hostnames against known patterns. For example, nameservers ending in .cloudflare.com are identified as Cloudflare, those ending in .awsdns- are identified as AWS Route 53, and so on.

Can I check which DNS provider a subdomain uses? Subdomains typically inherit their parent domain's nameservers. However, subdomains can be delegated to different nameservers. If you pass a subdomain, the actor will check if it has its own NS records. If not, you should check the parent domain instead.

Why does a domain have no NS records? Every registered domain should have NS records. If the actor returns hasNsRecords: false, the domain may not be registered, may have expired, or its NS records may be misconfigured at the registrar level.

What is a good number of nameservers for a domain? Most well-configured domains have between 2 and 4 nameservers. Having at least 2 nameservers provides redundancy in case one becomes unavailable. Major DNS providers like Cloudflare assign 2 nameservers, while AWS Route 53 assigns 4 by default.