How can I use the hostworld DNS management for my domain?

You use Hostworld DNS management by pointing your domain to our nameservers, then editing DNS either in your Hostworld client area (DNS Management) or, if your site is hosted with us, in cPanel’s Zone Editor. Our nameservers are ns1.serverworld.uk, ns2.serverworld.uk, ns3.serverworld.uk and ns4.serverworld.uk.

Before you start

• Know where your domain is registered and have login access to that account or to portal.hostworld.uk.
• If DNSSEC is enabled at your registrar, remove the DS record before changing nameservers.
• Copy the DNS records you rely on now so you can recreate them at Hostworld before you switch. Do this whether the domain is registered with us or elsewhere: once our nameservers are live, only the records held at Hostworld answer queries.

Step 1: Point your domain at Hostworld nameservers

This moves DNS authority to us so you can manage records with Hostworld.

Domain registered with Hostworld

1. First, create the records you need at Hostworld, using Step 2 below. If your site and email are hosted with us, check that the hosting package is active and its zone already holds the right A and MX records. If your site or mailboxes are hosted elsewhere, recreate those records in DNS Management before you go any further.
2. Log in to portal.hostworld.uk.
3. Open My Domains, select your domain, then open the Nameservers screen.
4. Enter these exactly:

   ns1.serverworld.uk
   ns2.serverworld.uk
   ns3.serverworld.uk
   ns4.serverworld.uk
   

5. Save. Your welcome email also lists these nameservers if you want to double‑check.

Domain registered elsewhere

1. Recreate all required DNS records with Hostworld first, using Step 2 below. Changing nameservers before the records exist here takes the site and email offline.
2. Log in to your registrar’s control panel.
3. Find the nameserver settings for the domain and enter:

   ns1.serverworld.uk
   ns2.serverworld.uk
   ns3.serverworld.uk
   ns4.serverworld.uk
   

4. Save the change at the registrar.

After saving, allow time for DNS to update according to TTLs. If you need help setting nameservers safely or removing a DS record, open a support ticket.

Step 2: Manage your DNS records at Hostworld

If you have a Hostworld cPanel hosting package

1. Log in to portal.hostworld.uk, open the hosting service, and use the link there to reach cPanel.
2. Open Zone Editor, choose your domain, then add or edit records such as A, CNAME and MX. In cPanel, the Name field is relative to your domain. For www.example.com, enter www, not the full domain.
3. If you cannot see TXT, SRV, CAA or AAAA, that is normal by default. Ask us to enable the advanced record types for your account by opening a support ticket.

If you only have the domain with Hostworld

DNS Management is included free with all Hostworld‑registered domains.

1. Log in to portal.hostworld.uk and open My Domains.
2. Select your domain. Look for DNS Management or Manage DNS and add the records you need.
3. Do not place a CNAME at the root of your domain. Use A or AAAA for the zone apex. Do not create both a CNAME and an A or AAAA for the same hostname.

If you do not see DNS Management for your domain, open a support ticket and we will enable it.

Step 3: Match Email Routing to your MX

1. In cPanel, open Email Routing.
2. If your email is hosted on the Hostworld server, set Local Mail Exchanger. If you use an external provider such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, set Remote Mail Exchanger.
3. Ensure your MX records match your chosen provider and remove any conflicting MX entries.

If it does not work

• Nameserver change made, but the domain does not resolve: confirm the nameservers are exactly ns1.serverworld.uk to ns4.serverworld.uk and that any DS record is removed at the registrar. Recreate key A, AAAA and MX records with us, then wait for the published TTLs.
• Edits not taking effect: you may be changing DNS in the wrong place. If the domain uses Hostworld nameservers, edit records in cPanel’s Zone Editor or the DNS Management section in your Hostworld client area. Edits at the registrar will not apply.
• Cannot add TXT, SRV, CAA or AAAA: advanced record types may be hidden in cPanel by default, or DNS Management may not be enabled for the domain. Please open a support ticket and we will enable what you need.

What next

For a fuller walkthrough of changing nameservers, including where to find the setting in our client area, see How do I change my nameservers?. If you run services on a VPS and manage your own DNS, see our VPS guides for related tasks. If you would like us to review your DNS or enable advanced record types, open a support ticket.