Developer Toolkit

DNS Lookup Tool

Query A, AAAA, MX, NS, CNAME, TXT, and SOA records for any domain. Real-time DNS resolution with detailed results.

Domain Lookup

Enter a domain name above and click Lookup to query DNS records

Common DNS Record Types

Type	Name	Purpose	Example Value
A	Address	Maps a domain to an IPv4 address	93.184.216.34
AAAA	IPv6 Address	Maps a domain to an IPv6 address	2606:2800:220:1:248:1893:25c8:1946
MX	Mail Exchange	Specifies mail servers and their priorities for email delivery	10 mail.example.com
NS	Name Server	Delegates a zone to authoritative name servers	ns1.example.com
CNAME	Canonical Name	Creates an alias that points to another domain name	www.example.com -> example.com
TXT	Text	Stores arbitrary text data, commonly used for SPF, DKIM, and domain verification	v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
SOA	Start of Authority	Contains administrative information about the DNS zone including serial number and refresh intervals	ns1.example.com admin.example.com
CAA	Certification Authority	Controls which certificate authorities can issue SSL certificates for the domain	0 issue "letsencrypt.org"
SRV	Service	Specifies the location of services (host and port) for protocols like SIP and XMPP	10 5 5060 sip.example.com
PTR	Pointer	Maps an IP address back to a hostname (reverse DNS lookup)	host.example.com

How DNS lookups work

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the internet's address book. When you visit a website, your browser queries DNS servers to translate the human-readable domain name into the IP address of the server hosting that website. This tool performs those same queries and displays the raw results.

Our DNS lookup tool queries public resolvers (Google DNS and Cloudflare DNS) to retrieve records. Each record type serves a different purpose: A records point to web servers, MX records route email, TXT records store verification data, and SOA records define zone authority. Understanding these records is essential for diagnosing connectivity, email delivery, and security issues.

Frequently asked questions

Why are some record types empty?

Not all domains have every record type configured. For example, a domain that doesn't handle email won't have MX records, and only domains using aliases will have CNAME records. An empty result simply means that record type hasn't been set up for the domain.

Why might results differ from other DNS tools?

DNS is a distributed system with caching at multiple levels. Results can vary depending on which DNS resolver is queried, whether records have been cached, and how recently changes were propagated. Our tool queries Google DNS (8.8.8.8) and Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1) for reliable results.

What does the SOA record tell me?

The Start of Authority record contains administrative metadata about the DNS zone. It specifies the primary nameserver, the zone administrator's contact, a serial number that increments with each change, and timing values that control how often secondary nameservers refresh their cached data.

How long do DNS changes take to propagate?

DNS propagation depends on the Time To Live (TTL) values set on each record. Lower TTL values mean faster propagation but more DNS queries. Most changes propagate globally within 24-48 hours, though some records with short TTLs may update in minutes.

Can I use this to troubleshoot email delivery issues?

Yes. Check the MX records to verify your mail servers are correctly configured with the right priorities. Also inspect TXT records for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC entries which are essential for email authentication and deliverability.

Monitor your DNS records continuously

Manual DNS checks are useful, but automated monitoring catches issues before they impact your users. Start with 50 free monitors.

Get started free