Fix a domain that doesn't exist in DNS
What NXDOMAIN and a domain with no name servers mean, and how to get a lapsed, suspended or misconfigured domain answering again.
By the Domain Health Hub team · Updated
- DNS answered that the domain doesn't exist (NXDOMAIN), or it has no name servers, so nothing on it works.
- The usual causes are a lapsed registration, a suspension, or name servers removed or mistyped at the registrar.
- Check the registration first, then the name servers set at the registrar.
What this means
Every domain is listed in its registry (for example Nominet for .uk) with the name servers that answer for it. We asked our resolver about the domain and got one of two answers:
- NXDOMAIN
- The registry says the name doesn't exist. The registration has lapsed, been deleted or suspended, or the name is spelled differently.
- No NS records
- The domain exists but no name servers are listed for it, so nobody can look anything up.
Why it matters
Without working DNS there is no website, no email in or out, and email authentication (SPF, DKIM and DMARC) can't be checked. Email sent to the domain bounces, and every other check we run fails or is skipped until this is fixed.
How to confirm it
From a terminal, dig example.com NS shows the status (look for NXDOMAIN) and any name servers. The registrar's control panel shows the registration status and the name servers set there.
How to fix it
- Check the registration. If it has expired, renew it at once; see renewing a domain. If the registrar shows it as suspended, their notice says why, often an unverified contact email or a complaint.
- Check the name servers at the registrar. They must match the DNS provider that holds the records, for example the two names Cloudflare assigns to the zone, or the host's own name servers. A typo or a half-finished move leaves nothing answering.
- Check the DNS provider still has the zone. Cancelling a hosting account often deletes its DNS zone while the registrar still points there.
- Check the spelling. If the domain was added with a typo, correct it.
ns1.your-dns-provider.example ns2.your-dns-provider.example
Once DNS answers again, the next daily check picks it up. Domain Health Hub alerts you the day a domain stops resolving, which is usually well before the client notices.
Questions
Could this be a temporary DNS fault?
A server failure or timeout is reported differently and we don't count it against the domain. NXDOMAIN is a definite answer from the registry that the name isn't there.
How long do changes take after I fix the name servers?
Registry changes are usually published within minutes to a few hours, but resolvers that cached the old answer may keep it for up to the TTL, which can be a day or two at the top level.
Hear about it the day it breaks.
Daily checks on every client domain, alerts when something changes, and a monthly report card your clients will understand.