---
title: Set up tenant custom nameservers
description: With tenant-level custom nameservers, you can use the same custom nameservers for different zones and across different accounts, as long as the accounts are part of the [tenant](/tenant/). The domain or domains that provide the nameservers names do not have to exist as zones in Cloudflare.
image: https://developers.cloudflare.com/core-services-preview.png
---

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# Set up tenant custom nameservers

Tenant custom nameservers (TCNS) allow you to define tenant-level custom nameservers and use them for different accounts within a Cloudflare tenant.

TCNS are organized in different sets (`ns_set`) and TCNS names can be provided by any domain, even if the domain does not exist as a zone in Cloudflare.

For instance, if the TCNS are `ns1.example.com` and `ns2.vanity.test`, the domains `example.com` and `vanity.test` are not required to be zones in Cloudflare.

## Availability

Tenant custom nameservers, if created by the tenant owner, will be available to all zones belonging to any account that is part of the tenant. Via API only.

## Configuration conditions

For this configuration to be possible, a few conditions apply:

* Tenant owners can create up to five different tenant custom nameserver sets. Each nameserver set must have between two and five different nameserver names (`ns_name`), and each name cannot belong to more than one set. For example, if `ns1.example.com` is part of `ns_set 1` it cannot be part of `ns_set 2` or vice versa.
* [Subdomain setup](https://developers.cloudflare.com/dns/zone-setups/subdomain-setup/) or [reverse zones](https://developers.cloudflare.com/dns/additional-options/reverse-zones/) can use tenant custom nameservers as long as they use a different nameserver set (`ns_set`) than their parent, child, or any other zone in their direct hierarchy tree.

Note

Tenant owners that want to [use their own IP prefix](https://developers.cloudflare.com/byoip/) for the tenant custom nameservers should contact their account team.

## For account owners

### Enable tenant custom nameservers on a zone

If you are an account owner and your account is part of a tenant that has custom nameservers, do the following:

1. Use the endpoint [Update DNS Settings for a Zone](https://developers.cloudflare.com/api/resources/dns/subresources/settings/subresources/zone/methods/edit/) and configure the `nameservers` object accordingly.  
```  
  "nameservers": {  
    "type": "custom.tenant"  
  }  
```  
Note  
If the parameter `ns_set` is omitted, the default set `1` will be assigned.
2. If you are **not** using [Cloudflare Registrar](https://developers.cloudflare.com/registrar/), update the nameservers at your registrar to use the TCNS names. If you are using [Cloudflare Registrar](https://developers.cloudflare.com/registrar/), no further action is needed.

To make these TCNS the default namerservers for all new zones added to your account from now on, use the endpoint [Update DNS Settings for an Account](https://developers.cloudflare.com/api/resources/dns/subresources/settings/subresources/account/methods/edit/). Within the `zone_defaults` object, set the following:

```

"zone_defaults": {

  "nameservers": {

    "type": "custom.tenant"

  }

}


```

### Disable tenant custom nameservers on a zone

* If you are using [Cloudflare Registrar](https://developers.cloudflare.com/registrar/), use the [Update DNS settings endpoint](https://developers.cloudflare.com/api/resources/dns/subresources/settings/subresources/zone/methods/edit/) to set the `type` parameter in the `nameservers` object to a different value. Then, [contact Cloudflare Support](https://developers.cloudflare.com/support/contacting-cloudflare-support/) to set your nameservers back to the nameservers you chose to use.
* If you are not using Cloudflare Registrar, use the [Update DNS settings endpoint](https://developers.cloudflare.com/api/resources/dns/subresources/settings/subresources/zone/methods/edit/) to choose a different nameserver type, and also remove the TCNS at your domain's registrar.

## For tenant owners

### Create tenant custom nameservers

If you are a tenant owner and you want to make TCNS available for accounts within your tenant, do the following:

1. Observe the [conditions](#configuration-conditions) for `ns_name` and `ns_set`, and create TCNS in your tenant by using the following POST command:

Terminal window

```

curl https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/tenants/{tenant_id}/custom_ns \

--header "X-Auth-Email: <EMAIL>" \

--header "X-Auth-Key: <API_KEY>" \

--header "Content-Type: application/json" \

--data '{

  "ns_name": "<NS_NAME>",

  "ns_set": <SET>

}'


```

Note

If the parameter `ns_set` is omitted, the default set `1` will be assigned.

1. Add the account custom nameservers and IP addresses to your domain's registrar as glue (A and AAAA) records ([RFC 1912 ↗](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1912.html)).
2. If the domain or domains that are used for the tenant custom nameservers do not exist within the same account, you must create the `A/AAAA` records on the configured nameserver names (for example, `ns1.example.com`) at the authoritative DNS provider.

| Type | Name            | Content |
| ---- | --------------- | ------- |
| A    | ns1.example.com | <IPv4>  |

### Get a list of all TCNS names

To get a list of all TCNS names in your tenant account, use the following API request:

Terminal window

```

curl https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/tenants/{tenant_id}/custom_ns \

--header "X-Auth-Email: <EMAIL>" \

--header "X-Auth-Key: <API_KEY>"


```

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/directory/","name":"Directory"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/dns/","name":"DNS"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"/dns/nameservers/","name":"Nameservers"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@id":"/dns/nameservers/custom-nameservers/","name":"Custom nameservers"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@id":"/dns/nameservers/custom-nameservers/tenant-custom-nameservers/","name":"Set up tenant custom nameservers"}}]}
```