Vanity nameservers
The nameserver name can be yours. The network should not have to be.
White-label, reseller and brand-sensitive zones still want ns1.example.com, but operating anycast DNS for that name is the expensive part.
Cloud DNS supports vanity nameservers. You present branded NS records; queries still land on Aptranet Anycast infrastructure.
Why teams use Aptranet
How it works with Aptranet
Cloud DNS combines Anycast resolution with traffic steering and health checks. Growth and Business support TTLs as low as one second.
Branded NS records
Customers and partners see your nameserver hostname, not a generic host brand.
Anycast still answers
Vanity is a name. The 210+ server footprint remains in place.
DDoS-protected under the brand
Volumetric DNS attacks are still absorbed on the Anycast network.
How to set it up
Validate your setup before production changes.
Configure your Cloud DNS zone and verify its records and routing policies. Test answers from the authoritative nameservers before changing your domain delegation.
- 1Choose the vanity hostnames
Usually ns1 and ns2 under a domain you control.
- 2Delegate glue at the parent
A and AAAA glue must match what Cloud DNS expects.
- 3Point customer zones at the vanity NS
The records in those zones still live on Cloud DNS.
- 4Monitor delegation
Broken glue looks like a DNS outage even when authority is healthy.
Outcomes
What changes once the hostname is on Aptranet.
- Nameserver hostnames can be branded
- Anycast and DDoS protection remain
- Customer zones still use Cloud DNS features
- Glue is explicit at the parent
Keep reading
Related pages
More DNS use cases on the same Cloud DNS footprint.
Frequently asked questions
No. Steering is a record-set feature, independent of the NS hostname.
Yes. Plan DS, glue and signatures so the branded nameservers remain valid.
Follow parent-registry norms — typically at least two NS names — even when they share Anycast infrastructure.
No. Most zones use the standard Cloud DNS nameservers. Vanity is for brand or reseller designs.