Why is my domain in serverHold status?

A serverHold status on a domain occurs when the name servers do not contain any DNS zone information for your domain. This status prevents your domain from resolving correctly.

• If you are using Elitehost's name servers, here are the possible reasons and solutions:

Domain registered before hosting was activated: If the domain was registered before hosting was activated, the DNS check may have failed because no zone existed on our name servers at the time of registration.

Solution: Ensure hosting is activated, or domain is added as as an alias or addon domain in cPanel. Then, update your domain's name servers to:
ns3.za-dns.com and ns5.za-dns.com - refer to this article: How can I change or update the nameservers for my domain?

• If you are using external name servers:

Missing DNS Zone: The name servers may not have a DNS zone for your domain, or they may not contain valid NS records.

Solution: Try updating the name servers again and contact your external hosting provider to ensure that the DNS zone exists and is correctly configured on their name servers.

Updated on: 15/04/2025