A DNS NS (Name Server) record is a type of DNS (Domain Name System) record that specifies the authoritative nameservers for a domain. It identifies which nameservers are responsible for handling DNS queries and providing DNS resolution for a particular domain.

The NS record contains the domain names or fully qualified domain names (FQDNs) of the authoritative nameservers for the domain. These nameservers store and serve the DNS zone information for the domain, including the associated DNS records.

When a DNS resolver or client wants to resolve a domain name to its corresponding IP address, it starts by querying the DNS system. As part of the DNS resolution process, the resolver looks up the NS records of the domain to determine the authoritative nameservers for that domain. It then queries the authoritative nameservers to obtain the requested DNS information.

Here’s an example to illustrate the usage of an NS record:

Suppose you have a domain called example.com, and you have set up authoritative nameservers for the domain: ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com. To specify these nameservers in the DNS, you would create NS records for example.com with the values “ns1.example.com” and “ns2.example.com”.

The NS records indicate that ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com are the authoritative nameservers for the domain example.com. When a DNS resolver receives a request to resolve a hostname within example.com, it will query these nameservers to obtain the necessary DNS information, such as A records, MX records, and other DNS records associated with the domain.

It’s important to note that changes to NS records are typically managed through the DNS management interface provided by your domain registrar or DNS hosting provider. The registrar or hosting provider maintains the association between your domain and the authoritative nameservers by updating the corresponding NS records in the DNS.