This guide walks through letting C Building manage your domain's DNS: bring your current records over, then change the nameservers at your registrar. If nameservers are new to you, read What are nameservers? first.
Before you start
- Connect the domain to a website first. On the account's Domains page, choose "Connect a domain you own", or connect it from the website's Domains & publishing page.
- Make sure you can sign in to your registrar and that it lets you change nameservers. Domains registered on Cloudflare, or bought through Shopify or Netlify, can't be changed by you; see Cloudflare one-click setup and DNS for Shopify and Netlify domains.
- Turn off DNSSEC first. If DNSSEC is on at your registrar, turn it off (remove the DS record) and wait for it to take effect. See Before changing nameservers: email and DNSSEC.
- Domains bought through C Building don't show this option; their records are set up automatically.
- Each account can have at most 3 domains waiting for a nameserver change at once.
Step 1: Open "Let C Building manage your DNS"
You can start from three places: the website's Domains & publishing page, the Domain tab in the editor's settings panel, or the dialog that opens after "Connect a domain you own" on the account's Domains page. While the domain is waiting to connect, you'll see the "Let C Building manage your DNS" card. Click Let C Building manage DNS.
If the domain's DNS is on Cloudflare, a "This domain's DNS is on Cloudflare" card with a "Set up with Cloudflare" button appears above it. Use that one if you only want to connect your website and keep your DNS provider.
Step 2: Choose how to read your current records
Once the nameservers change, the records at your current DNS provider stop working. So the first step is "Bring your current DNS records over". There are four ways:
| Option | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Detect automatically | Looks up common names (www, mail, email verification records and so on). Records on other subdomains may be missed | A few records, no unusual subdomains |
| Import from Cloudflare | Click "Continue to Cloudflare" to read every record there. Read only; nothing is changed, and the access is revoked right after | DNS currently on Cloudflare |
| Paste a zone file | Export a zone file (BIND format) from your DNS provider, paste it or click "Choose file", then "Read records" | Providers that export zone files |
| Records from last time | Uses the records kept from the last time this domain was hosted. Only shown if it was hosted before | Hosting the domain again |
A zone file can be up to 1,000,000 characters and 20,000 lines. A Cloudflare export can be up to 1 MB.
Step 3: Confirm the records to bring over
Next you'll see "Confirm the records to bring over", with columns for type, host, value and TTL (MX and SRV priority shows in front of the value). Checked records move to C Building; unchecked ones are left out. Use "Select all", or "Add a record" for anything missing.
- Supported record types: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, SRV and CAA.
- The screen lists the hosts that will point to your C Building website. Their current website records are not brought over.
- Automatic detection only finds common names. If you use other subdomains (such as shop or api) or verification records for other services, add them yourself, or import from Cloudflare or a zone file instead.
- "Records not brought over" gives a reason for each, such as "ANAME / ALIAS is not supported", "The domain itself cannot use a CNAME", "Delegated subdomains are not supported yet" or "Duplicate".
- If your CAA records don't allow Let's Encrypt, your website's HTTPS certificate can't be issued. Add a CAA record allowing letsencrypt.org, or uncheck those CAA records.
- DNS doesn't allow a CNAME together with other records on the same host. Uncheck one of them.
When everything looks right, click Start hosting.
Messages you may see when you start
- DNSSEC is turned on for this domain: turn it off at your registrar, wait for it to take effect, then come back.
- No registration was found for this domain: check that it's registered and spelled correctly.
- This domain's DNS is managed by another C Building account: another account started hosting it but hasn't changed the nameservers. If the domain is yours, click "This is my domain, take it back" below; see Take back a domain held by another account.
- The nameservers already point to C Building, but not for your account: change them back to your previous provider first, then start again. This case can't be taken back with a TXT record; if the domain is yours, you can also contact support.
- The domain's registry did not answer: try again in a few minutes.
Step 4: Change the nameservers at your registrar
Once hosting starts, you'll see "Last step: change the nameservers at your registrar". Follow it:
- Sign in where you registered the domain (for example GoDaddy or Namecheap).
- Find the nameserver (DNS server) setting and choose custom nameservers.
- Remove the current nameservers and enter these four. If only two fit, the first two are enough.
- Save. It usually takes effect within minutes to a few hours, at most 48 hours.
- ns1.cbuilding.net
- ns2.cbuilding.net
- ns3.cbuilding.net
- ns4.cbuilding.net
Each nameserver has a Copy button, and there's Copy all. Every registrar's screens differ; see GoDaddy, HiNet, PChome and Net-Chinese, and Namecheap, Squarespace and Wix.
Some registrar forms have an IP field. HiNet and PChome both say no IP is needed when the nameservers aren't under your own domain; Net-Chinese's help asks for the host name and IP. If a form insists, use this table (looked up on October 15, 2026):
| Nameserver | IPv4 | IPv6 |
|---|---|---|
| ns1.cbuilding.net | 205.251.196.82 | 2600:9000:5304:5200::1 |
| ns2.cbuilding.net | 205.251.193.12 | 2600:9000:5301:c00::1 |
| ns3.cbuilding.net | 205.251.194.225 | 2600:9000:5302:e100::1 |
| ns4.cbuilding.net | 205.251.198.20 | 2600:9000:5306:1400::1 |
Step 5: Finish within 3 days, then click Check now
After you click Start hosting, change the nameservers within 3 days. The screen shows the time left and the deadline. If it passes, the setup and the records you brought over are removed.
After changing them, click Check now. The screen shows when it last checked. You may see:
- "The nameservers have not changed yet." The screen lists what the registry currently has, so you can compare. If you just changed them, wait a while and check again.
- "Only some of the nameservers are filled in. That works, but entering all four is more reliable."
- "The nameservers have changed. Your DNS is now managed by C Building." You're done.
After it's done
- Once the nameservers take effect, your website connects to your domain automatically, and the screen says your website is connected.
- Click Manage DNS records to change records, or ask the AI to set them for you.
- The domain is labelled "Hosted DNS" on your account's Domains page, and the "DNS hosting" panel on its manage page shows since when C Building has managed it.
- The domain stays registered where it was. Renew it at that registrar.
- If the nameservers later point elsewhere, record changes are paused. Change them back to these four; after 14 days without the change, hosting ends automatically.
Missed the 3 days? Click Start again first
If the nameservers aren't changed within 3 days, you'll see "The last setup expired". The setup and the records you brought over have been removed, and changing the nameservers later doesn't bring them back.
To try again, click Start again first, and only then change the nameservers at your registrar. Changing them first stops your website and email from working.