DNS Lookup

Check the DNS records of any domain

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the internet's address book. When someone visits example.com or sends an email to you@example.com, DNS records tell their computer which server to contact. This DNS lookup tool queries those records for any host and lists them by type, together with details such as TTL (how long resolvers may cache a record), priority and target.

It's one of the first things to check when a website won't load after a move, email stops arriving, or a service such as Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 or a newsletter platform asks you to add a verification record.

The tips below explain what each record type does and the mistakes that most often break websites and email.

How to use the dns lookup

1. Enter the domain or host name, for example example.com or mail.example.com. Don't include https:// or a path.
2. Submit the lookup.
3. Read the results grouped by record type: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT and SOA.
4. Compare the values with what your host, email provider or DNS dashboard says they should be.

Common uses

• Confirming that a domain points to the right server (A/AAAA) after moving hosts.
• Checking MX records when email isn't being delivered.
• Verifying SPF, DKIM and DMARC TXT records for email authentication.
• Making sure a domain verification TXT record (Google Search Console, Microsoft, Facebook) is published.
• Seeing which nameservers (NS) control a domain, for example after switching to Cloudflare.

Tips and things to know

• A maps a name to an IPv4 address; AAAA to an IPv6 address; CNAME makes one name an alias of another; MX lists mail servers with a priority (lower is tried first); NS names the authoritative nameservers; TXT holds text such as SPF and verification codes; SOA holds zone details like the serial number and refresh timers.
• DNS changes aren't always instant. Resolvers cache records until their TTL expires, so an update can take from a few minutes to a day or two to be seen everywhere.
• If your domain uses a proxy such as Cloudflare, the A record will show the proxy's IP, not your server's.
• A domain should have only one SPF record (a TXT starting with v=spf1). Two SPF records cause failures.
• Look up the domain's registration and expiry with the Whois lookup, and its certificate with the SSL lookup.

Frequently asked questions

How long does DNS propagation take?

It depends on the TTL of the old record and on resolver caching. Many changes are visible within minutes to a few hours; allow up to 48 hours in the worst case.

What is a TTL in DNS?

Time To Live is the number of seconds a resolver may cache a record before asking again. A short TTL (like 300) makes changes spread faster; a long TTL reduces lookups.

Why can't I add a CNAME on my root domain?

DNS standards don't allow a CNAME at the zone apex alongside other records like MX and NS. Many DNS providers offer workarounds called CNAME flattening or ALIAS/ANAME records.

How do I check my SPF record?

Look for a TXT record that starts with v=spf1 in the results. It lists the servers allowed to send mail for your domain.

Why does the lookup show different results than my DNS dashboard?

Either the change hasn't propagated yet, or the domain uses different nameservers than the dashboard you're editing. Check the NS records to see which provider is actually in charge.

Related tools

• Whois Lookup: Get all possible details about a domain name.
• SSL Lookup: Get all possible details about an SSL certificate.
• IP Lookup: Get approximate IP details.
• Website hosting checker: Get the web-host of a given website.
• HTTP headers lookup: Get all the HTTP headers that an URL returns for a typical GET request.