DNS Lookup

Look up DNS records (A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME) for any domain.

Try:

DNS Record Type Reference

A Address Record

Maps a domain name to an IPv4 address (32-bit). The most fundamental DNS record type used to point a domain to a server.

AAAA IPv6 Address Record

Maps a domain name to an IPv6 address (128-bit). Essential for modern internet infrastructure and dual-stack configurations.

MX Mail Exchange Record

Specifies the mail server responsible for accepting email on behalf of the domain. Includes a priority value for failover ordering.

NS Name Server Record

Delegates a DNS zone to an authoritative name server. Points to the servers that hold the actual DNS records for the domain.

TXT Text Record

Holds arbitrary text data. Commonly used for SPF (email sender verification), DKIM (email signing), DMARC, and domain ownership verification.

CNAME Canonical Name Record

Creates an alias from one domain name to another. The target domain must have its own A or AAAA record. Cannot coexist with other record types at the zone apex.

SOA Start of Authority Record

Contains administrative information about a DNS zone including the primary nameserver, administrator email, serial number, and refresh/retry/expiry timers.

DNS Response Codes

0 NOERROR — Query completed successfully
1 FORMERR — DNS query format error
2 SERVFAIL — Server failed to complete the request
3 NXDOMAIN — Domain name does not exist
4 NOTIMP — Function not implemented
5 REFUSED — Server refused the query

How DNS Lookup Works

1
Query Sent

Your browser sends a DNS query to a recursive resolver (usually your ISP or a public resolver like Google DNS 8.8.8.8).

2
Root Server

The resolver contacts a root nameserver, which directs it to the appropriate TLD (top-level domain) nameserver.

3
TLD Server

The TLD server (e.g., .com, .org) responds with the authoritative nameserver for the specific domain.

4
Authoritative Server

The authoritative nameserver returns the actual DNS record data. Results are cached according to the TTL value.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are DNS records and what do they do?

DNS (Domain Name System) records map domain names to IP addresses and other data. Key record types: A (maps domain to IPv4), AAAA (IPv6), MX (mail server routing), TXT (SPF, DKIM, domain verification), CNAME (alias/redirect), NS (authoritative nameservers), SOA (zone authority info).

How long do DNS changes take to propagate?

DNS propagation depends on the TTL (Time To Live) value set on each record. Changes typically propagate within 1–4 hours on modern DNS infrastructure, but can take up to 48 hours in edge cases due to heavily cached records. Lower TTL values (e.g. 300 seconds = 5 minutes) speed up propagation — change TTL before making critical DNS updates.

How do I check if my SPF or DKIM record is set correctly?

Look up the TXT records for your domain. Your SPF record should appear as a TXT record starting with "v=spf1". DKIM records are TXT records under a subdomain like "google._domainkey.yourdomain.com". If you're having email delivery issues, verify these records match what your email provider requires.

What is an MX record and why does it matter?

MX (Mail Exchange) records tell the internet which mail server to deliver email to for your domain. Without correct MX records, you won't receive email. MX records have a priority number — lower numbers have higher priority. Most email providers (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Proton) provide specific MX records to configure.