Free tool
DNS Lookup
Check the A, AAAA, MX, NS, TXT, CNAME, SOA and CAA records of any domain name.
How to use the DNS lookup tool
- Type a domain name, such as example.com. You can also paste a full web address, and we will use the domain part.
- Choose a record type, or keep All records to check the most common types at once.
- Press Lookup. The records, their values and their TTL appear in a table.
DNS record types explained
| Record | What it does |
|---|---|
| A | Points a domain name to an IPv4 address, such as 93.184.216.34. |
| AAAA | Points a domain name to an IPv6 address. |
| CNAME | Makes one name an alias of another name, for example www pointing to the main domain. |
| MX | Lists the mail servers that receive email for the domain. A lower priority number is tried first. |
| NS | Shows the name servers that are responsible for the domain. |
| TXT | Holds text for purposes such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC email protection and domain ownership checks. |
| SOA | Holds administrative information about the domain, such as the primary name server, a serial number and refresh timers. |
| CAA | States which certificate authorities are allowed to issue SSL certificates for the domain. |
When a DNS lookup helps
- Website moves. Check that the A or CNAME record points to your new host.
- Email problems. Confirm your MX records, and check the SPF and DMARC records in TXT.
- Domain changes. See whether new name servers have taken effect.
- Verification. Make sure the TXT record that a service asked you to add is in place.
- Security checks. Review CAA records to see who may issue certificates for your domain.
Frequently asked questions
What is a DNS lookup?
A DNS lookup asks the Domain Name System for the records stored for a domain name. DNS works like a phone book of the internet: it turns names such as example.com into the IP addresses and settings that computers use to find websites and mail servers.
Why would I check the DNS records of a domain?
People check DNS records to confirm that a website points to the right server, to troubleshoot email delivery, to verify that a change has worked, to check SPF, DKIM and DMARC settings, and to confirm domain ownership records.
How long do DNS changes take to show up?
It depends on the TTL (time to live) of the old record. Many changes appear within minutes, but some resolvers keep the old answer until the TTL ends, so a full update can take several hours and sometimes up to 24 to 48 hours.
What does TTL mean in DNS records?
TTL is the number of seconds that a resolver may keep a record before it asks again. A low TTL means changes spread faster. A high TTL reduces the number of lookups, but changes take longer to reach everyone.
Why does the lookup show no records?
The domain may not exist, it may not have that type of record, or the DNS servers may not be answering. Check the spelling, try the All records option, and try again later if you have just changed the settings.
Are the results live?
Results come from the DNS resolver used by our server, so they can be cached until each record TTL ends. Your own device or provider may show a slightly different answer for a recently changed record.