How to whitelabel nameservers and set up private DNS for your domain in WHM and cPanel | iBuild.PH Knowledgebase

Overview

This article explains how to whitelabel nameservers using WHM and how to configure private DNS (child nameservers) for your own domain. This setup is commonly used by hosting providers and resellers who want to brand their DNS instead of using the default hosting company nameservers.

Information below may be for general reference and application only with Namecheap, WHM, cPanel setup examples. The steps may differ from one hosting setup to another, depending on the applications, software, and service provider are used, installed, and subscribed with.

The guide covers:

• Creating custom nameserver hostnames in WHM
• Registering private nameservers at your domain registrar
• Verifying and testing the DNS setup

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have the following:

• Root or reseller access to WHM
• A domain name that you control
• Access to your domain registrar’s DNS or nameserver management panel
• A dedicated server or VPS with at least one static IP address

Step 1. Decide on your custom nameserver hostnames

Choose the nameserver hostnames you want to use. The most common format is:

• ns1.yourdomain.com
• ns2.yourdomain.com

Take note of the server IP addresses that will be assigned to each nameserver. These are usually the main shared IPs of your server.

Step 2. Configure nameserver branding in WHM

Follow the standard WHM navigation path below:

Home / Server Configuration / Basic WebHost Manager® Setup

1. Log in to WHM using the root account.
2. Go to Server Configuration.
3. Click Basic WebHost Manager® Setup.
4. Scroll to the Nameservers section.
5. Under Explicitly Set the Nameservers, enter your custom nameservers, for example:
   • ns1.yourdomain.com
   • ns2.yourdomain.com
6. Assign the correct IP address to each nameserver.

Note: Nameservers that you explicitly set will transfer with the user to the new servers upon migration.

7. Save the changes.

WHM will automatically create the necessary DNS zone entries for these nameservers on the server.

Step 3. Create private (child) nameservers at your domain registrar

Private DNS, also called child nameservers or glue records, must be created at the registrar where your domain is registered.

General steps

1. Log in to your domain registrar account.
2. Locate the section for Private Nameservers, Child Nameservers, or Glue Records.
3. Add the following details:
   • Hostname: ns1.yourdomain.com
   • IP address: your server IP
4. Repeat the process for ns2.yourdomain.com using a different IP if available.
5. Save the changes.

Example. Creating private nameservers in Namecheap

1. Log in to your Namecheap account.
2. Go to Domain List.
3. Click Manage next to your domain name.
4. Open the Advanced DNS tab.
5. Scroll down to the Personal DNS Server section.
6. Under Nameserver, enter ns1 and provide the server IP address, then click Add.
7. Repeat the process for ns2 with the corresponding IP address.
8. Confirm that both personal DNS servers are listed and saved.

DNS propagation may take a few minutes to several hours depending on the registrar.

Step 4. Point your domain to the new nameservers

After creating the private nameservers, update your domain to use them.

General steps

1. In your registrar’s domain management panel, find Nameserver Settings.
2. Choose Use custom nameservers.
3. Enter:
   • ns1.yourdomain.com
   • ns2.yourdomain.com
4. Save the changes.

Example. Updating nameservers in Namecheap

1. Log in to your Namecheap account.
2. Go to Domain List.
3. Click Manage next to your domain name.
4. In the Nameservers section, select Custom DNS from the dropdown.
5. Enter the following nameservers:
   • ns1.yourdomain.com
   • ns2.yourdomain.com
6. Click the checkmark or Save to apply the changes.

Your domain will now resolve using your whitelabeled nameservers.

Step 5. Verify DNS configuration

After updating your nameservers, verify that the DNS setup is working correctly.

General checks

• Confirm that ns1.yourdomain.com and ns2.yourdomain.com resolve to the correct IP addresses.
• In WHM, go to DNS Functions then Check Nameserver IPs to validate configuration.
• Test domain resolution by opening your website in a browser after propagation.

Example 1. Checking nameservers using DNSChecker

1. Open dnschecker.org.
2. In the search field, enter your domain name, for example yourdomain.com.
3. From the record type dropdown, select NS.
4. Click Search.
5. Review the results shown across multiple global DNS servers.

Your custom nameservers (ns1.yourdomain.com and ns2.yourdomain.com) should appear consistently. Mixed or missing results indicate that DNS propagation is still in progress.

Example 2. Verifying DNS using MXToolbox SuperTool

1. Open MXToolbox SuperTool.
2. In the lookup field, enter your domain name.
3. Select NS Lookup from the available test options.
4. Click MX Lookup or Run Tool.
5. Review the returned nameserver records.

Ensure that the listed nameservers match your whitelabeled nameservers and that no old nameservers remain.

DNS propagation can take a few minutes up to 24 hours, depending on the registrar and DNS caching.

Additional note for cPanel account setup

Before creating your first cPanel account on the server, make sure SSL or HTTPS is already working correctly for cPanel, not only WHM.

In cPanel (for the account you are creating):

1. Access cPanel using the intended domain or subdomain URL (https://domain:2083).
2. Verify that HTTPS is working and the SSL certificate is valid.

Additionally, in your webhosting reseller cPanel, you can ensure server-wide SSL configuration is correct:

1. Go to Home.
2. Navigate to SSL/TLS.
3. Click Manage AutoSSL or SSL/TLS Status.
4. Run AutoSSL and confirm that a valid SSL certificate is issued for:
   • The server hostname
   • cPanel service (cpanel.yourhostname or the account domain)
5. Make sure status all items are AutoSSL Domain Validated.

This ensures that newly created cPanel accounts load securely over HTTPS and prevents browser security warnings when accessing cPanel for the first time.

Summary

Whitelabeling nameservers involves two main steps: configuring custom nameservers in WHM and registering private DNS records at your domain registrar. Once completed, you can brand your hosting services using your own domain-based nameservers while maintaining full DNS control through WHM and cPanel.

For further assistance, contact the iBuild.PH technical support team.