By Alex Morgan | Last updated: May 2026
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Namecheap offers two DNS options for every domain: BasicDNS (free, included by default) and PremiumDNS (£4.88/year). This page explains both, covers domain forwarding setup, and clarifies which option to use for different scenarios.
BasicDNS vs PremiumDNS — What’s the Difference?
| Feature | BasicDNS (Free) | PremiumDNS (£4.88/year) |
|---|---|---|
| Uptime SLA | Best effort | 100% uptime guarantee |
| Anycast routing | No | Yes (faster global resolution) |
| DNSSEC support | No | Yes |
| DDoS protection | Basic | Enhanced |
| DNS record types | A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS, CAA, SRV | All BasicDNS records + ALIAS |
| Cost | Free | £4.88/year per domain |
For most websites, BasicDNS is completely adequate. Namecheap’s BasicDNS has historically maintained high availability — it’s not a flimsy service. PremiumDNS is worth the upgrade for business-critical sites where DNS downtime would directly cost you money (e-commerce, SaaS, booking systems) or for sites that require DNSSEC for regulatory compliance.
An alternative: point your nameservers to Cloudflare (free tier) to get anycast DNS, DNSSEC, and DDoS protection at no cost, with more granular control than PremiumDNS. This is worth considering if you’re already using Cloudflare for other infrastructure.
How to Set Up DNS Records on Namecheap
To edit DNS records for any domain registered at Namecheap:
1. Log in to namecheap.com and go to the Domain List.
2. Click “Manage” next to the domain you want to configure.
3. Select the “Advanced DNS” tab.
4. From here, you can add, edit, or delete A records, CNAME records, MX records, TXT records (for email verification and SPF/DKIM), and other record types.
Common DNS records to add when connecting a domain to a host:
- A record: maps yourdomain.com to your hosting server’s IP address. Host: @, Value: your server IP, TTL: Automatic.
- CNAME record: maps www.yourdomain.com to yourdomain.com. Host: www, Value: @, TTL: Automatic.
- MX records: for email hosting. If using Namecheap Private Email, the MX records are set automatically. For Google Workspace, add Google’s MX records manually.
- TXT records: for SPF, DKIM, domain ownership verification. Format depends on the service requiring verification (Google, Mailchimp, etc.).
DNS changes propagate within 30 minutes to a few hours. Namecheap’s DNS propagation is typically on the faster end — most changes are visible globally within 30 minutes.
Domain Forwarding on Namecheap
Domain forwarding redirects visitors from one domain to another. Namecheap supports two types:
URL Redirect (301 or 302): redirects the full URL. yourdomain.com → newdomain.com. Used when you want to permanently redirect a domain to another. To set up: Domain List → Manage → Domain tab → Redirects section. Enter the destination URL and select 301 (permanent) or 302 (temporary).
URL Frame: shows the destination website inside a frame while keeping the original domain in the browser address bar. This is generally inadvisable — it breaks HTTPS and causes SEO issues. Avoid unless you have a specific legacy reason to use it.
Email forwarding: forwards email sent to yourname@yourdomain.com to another email address. This is separate from domain forwarding. To set up: Domain List → Manage → Domain tab → Email Forwarding section. Add a forwarding alias and destination email address.
Setting Up a Subdomain
To create a subdomain (blog.yourdomain.com, shop.yourdomain.com):
1. Go to Advanced DNS for your domain.
2. Add a new A record. Host: blog (or your subdomain prefix), Value: the server IP for the subdomain, TTL: Automatic.
3. Alternatively, add a CNAME record pointing the subdomain to another hostname (e.g., pointing shop.yourdomain.com to your-store.myshopify.com).
Switching Nameservers
If you’re using a hosting provider that manages its own DNS (e.g., Namecheap’s EasyWP, or Cloudflare), you may need to switch your domain’s nameservers. To do this:
1. Domain List → Manage → Domain tab → Nameservers section.
2. Select “Custom DNS” and enter the nameservers provided by your hosting or DNS provider.
3. Save. Nameserver changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate globally, though typically take 1-4 hours.
Important: switching nameservers to a third-party provider (Cloudflare, your host’s nameservers) means DNS records are managed at that provider — not in Namecheap’s Advanced DNS panel. Changes made in Namecheap’s Advanced DNS won’t take effect once you’ve switched nameservers away.
Common DNS Issues on Namecheap — and Fixes
Site not loading after DNS update: DNS changes take time. Wait 30 minutes before investigating. Use dnschecker.org to see propagation status globally. If propagation looks complete but the site still doesn’t load, verify the A record IP is correct by checking your hosting control panel.
Email not working after domain setup: the most common cause is incorrect or missing MX records. Go to Advanced DNS and confirm MX records match what your email provider specifies. For Namecheap Private Email: MX records are added automatically when Private Email is activated on the domain.
SSL not issuing after DNS change: free SSL certificates (including Namecheap’s Sectigo) require domain ownership verification. If DNS hasn’t fully propagated, the certificate authority can’t verify the domain and won’t issue the cert. Wait for propagation to complete before troubleshooting SSL.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is BasicDNS on Namecheap?
BasicDNS is Namecheap’s free, default DNS service included with every domain. It supports all standard record types (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS, CAA, SRV). It has no uptime SLA and doesn’t support DNSSEC. For most websites, BasicDNS is completely adequate.
Should I upgrade to Namecheap PremiumDNS?
Worth it if: your site generates revenue and DNS downtime would cost you money; you’re in a regulated industry requiring DNSSEC; or you’ve experienced DNS issues in the past. At £4.88/year, it’s cheap peace of mind for business-critical sites. For personal sites and blogs, BasicDNS is fine.
How do I forward a domain to another URL on Namecheap?
Domain List → Manage domain → Domain tab → Redirects section. Enter the destination URL and choose 301 (permanent) redirect. Note: URL forwarding via Namecheap uses HTTP, not HTTPS. For HTTPS redirects, point the domain to a server and configure the redirect there instead.
How long does Namecheap DNS propagation take?
Most DNS changes propagate within 30 minutes to a few hours. The TTL (Time to Live) setting on your records affects how quickly changes spread — Namecheap’s default TTL is automatic (typically 1800 seconds / 30 minutes). Full global propagation can take up to 48 hours in rare cases.
Can I use Cloudflare with a Namecheap domain?
Yes. Register the domain at Namecheap, then add the domain to Cloudflare. Cloudflare provides nameservers you add to your Namecheap domain (Domain List → Manage → Nameservers → Custom DNS). Once propagated, DNS is managed in Cloudflare’s dashboard, not Namecheap’s.
Register your domain at Namecheap:
Also see: Namecheap Domain Transfer Guide 2026 | What Is Namecheap?
Information verified May 2026 from namecheap.com documentation.