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
What vanity nameservers looks like on this network.
Cloud DNS answers on 210+ Anycast servers, with GeoDNS, health checks and a one-second minimum TTL for change.
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
A cutover you can validate before DNS moves.
Create the Cloud DNS configuration, prove it on an Aptranet hostname, then point production DNS when the path looks correct.
- 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.