How Long Does It Take for DNS Changes to Propagate Across TLDs

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Changing nameservers is a common task in domain and web hosting management. However, many users are surprised when changes don’t appear instantly. This is due to the nameserver refresh rate and DNS propagation time — two key factors in how quickly domain changes take effect.

This article explains what nameserver refresh rates are, how they differ across top-level domains (TLDs), and what you can expect after updating your domain settings.

What Is a Nameserver Refresh Rate?

When you update your domain’s nameservers (e.g., from ns1.oldhost.com to ns1.newhost.com), the change must be published by the domain’s registry to the DNS root zone. The speed at which this happens is known as the nameserver refresh rate, and it varies by TLD.

DNS Propagation vs. Registry Update Time

  • Registry Update Time: How fast the domain registry (e.g., Verisign for .com) updates and publishes your new nameservers.

  • DNS Propagation: The time it takes for DNS changes to be recognized and cached globally by ISPs and DNS resolvers. This can take up to 24–48 hours in some cases.

💡 Even if the registry updates quickly, cached DNS records might delay what you see when visiting the domain.

Nameserver Refresh Rates for Common TLDs (TLDs and Their Estimated Nameserver Refresh Rates)

Below is a table showing estimated refresh rates for popular TLDs. These are registry-level times — actual full propagation may take longer.

TLDEstimated Refresh RateRegistry/Notes
.com3–5 minutesVerisign – very fast
.net3–5 minutesVerisign
.org~15 minutesPublic Interest Registry (PIR)
.info~15 minutesAfilias
.biz~15 minutesNeustar
.us~15 minutesNeustar
.io~5–15 minutesNIC.IO
.co~15–30 minutesGoDaddy Registry
.xyz~5–15 minutesCentralNic (Radix-acquired extension)
.online~15–30 minutesRadix
.store~15–30 minutesRadix
.app~15–30 minutesGoogle Registry
.dev~15–30 minutesGoogle Registry
.me~15–30 minutesMontenegro (.me) – managed by doMEn
.tv~15 minutesVerisign
.cc~15 minutesVerisign
.mobi~15 minutesAfilias
.ai~1–2 hoursOffshore manual processing
.gh1–3 days (manual)Ghana NIC (manual updates)
.ng~4–8 hoursNigeria (.ng) Registry
.ke~1–6 hoursKenya (.ke) Registry
.co.uk~15–30 minutesNominet (UK Registry)
.uk~15–30 minutesNominet
.in~30–60 minutesNIXI India
.ph~1–3 hoursPH Domain Foundation
.pk~2–6 hoursPKNIC (semi-manual)
.ca~15–30 minutesCIRA Canada
.de~15 minutesDENIC Germany
.fr~30–60 minutesAFNIC France
.au~1 hourauDA (.au Domain Administration)
.nz~30 minutesInternetNZ
.br~15–30 minutesRegistro.br (Brazil)
.za / .co.za~30–60 minutesZACR South Africa
.eu~15–30 minutesEURid (European Union)
.cn~30–60 minutesCNNIC (China)
.jp~15–30 minutesJPRS (Japan)

Summary

  • Fastest Refreshers: .com, .net, .org, .xyz, .io

  • Moderate: .co, .co.uk, .uk, .me, .store, .info, .app

  • Slower/Manual: .gh, .pk, .ai, .bd

What You Should Know

  • Always allow 24–48 hours for full DNS propagation, especially for global visibility.

  • Lower your domain’s (DNS) TTL (Time to Live) to 300 seconds (5 mins) before making changes, if possible.

  • Use tools like WhatsMyDNS.net or DNS Checker to monitor changes.

Final Tips for Hosting Clients

  • Be patient: Your changes may be live in some locations within minutes, and others in several hours.

  • For critical migrations/propagation, plan a grace period of 24–48 hours.

  • If you’re moving to G Online Sites, our support team can assist with pre-propagation checks and a smooth transition.

Need Help?
Contact our support team at info@gonlinesites.com or via your dashboard to get assistance with DNS changes or domain transfers.

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Author

Joshua

Web Hosting Geek Technical Support Staff G Online Sites