DNS Lookup Tool

Look up A, AAAA, MX, CNAME, NS, TXT and SOA records for any domain — one at a time, or all records on a single page — instantly, for free.

Enter a domain name (not a URL) — e.g. google.com. Choose All Records to see every record type on one page, or pick a single type above.

What is a DNS lookup?

A DNS lookup asks the Domain Name System what records are published for a name such as example.com. Those records decide where the website loads from, which servers accept the domain's email, and which text values prove ownership to services like Google or Microsoft. This tool checks the seven record types people need most often: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT and SOA.

You can view all seven on one page or pick a single type. Each answer comes from a live query made at the moment you press the button, so you see what the internet is being told right now rather than an old copy.

How the DNS lookup tool works

When you submit a name, our server asks its DNS resolver for each record type you chose. The resolver finds the domain's authoritative nameservers and returns their answer, together with a TTL (time to live) that says how many seconds the answer may be cached.

With All Records selected, the tool also runs a short set of diagnostics using those answers: whether an A record and an IPv6 AAAA record exist, how many MX records and nameservers were found, whether an SPF record is present, and whether a DMARC record exists at _dmarc under the domain. Each diagnostic is shown as a pass, a warning or a failure.

How to use the DNS lookup

  1. Type a domain or subdomain, such as example.com or shop.example.com. If you paste a full web address, the protocol and path are removed for you.
  2. Choose All Records, or a single record type from the row of buttons.
  3. Press Lookup DNS.
  4. Read the summary and diagnostics first, then use the Jump to links to open each record table.

Understanding DNS lookup results

Address records: A and AAAA

An A record holds an IPv4 address and an AAAA record holds an IPv6 address. These are the addresses browsers connect to. Many domains have no AAAA record, which simply means IPv6 is not set up.

CNAME, MX and NS

A CNAME makes one name an alias of another. MX records list mail servers with a priority number, where the lowest number is tried first. NS records name the servers that hold the domain's DNS zone.

TXT and SOA

TXT records carry text such as SPF policies and site verification codes. The SOA record describes the zone itself: its primary nameserver, a contact address, a serial number and the timers other servers use when copying the zone.

Common uses

  • Confirming a new A record or CNAME after moving a website to a new host.
  • Checking that a verification TXT record has been published before clicking Verify in another service.
  • Finding out which provider runs a domain's email from its MX records.
  • Reading the SOA serial to see whether a zone was recently edited.

Common problems and fixes

"No records found" for a type. That type is simply not set for this name. Remember that records are per name: a record on www.example.com does not appear when you look up example.com.

A change you made is not showing. The old answer may still be cached until its TTL runs out. Wait, then check again, or compare several public resolvers with the DNS Propagation Checker.

A CNAME is missing at the root domain. DNS standards do not allow a CNAME on the bare domain alongside other records. Many DNS providers offer an alias or flattening feature instead.

Related tools

Frequently asked questions

Which DNS record types can I look up?

The tool checks A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT and SOA records. You can show all seven together on one page or choose a single type. These cover website addresses, aliases, mail servers, nameservers, verification and policy text, and the zone's own settings, which is what most day-to-day DNS checks need.

Can I run a DNS lookup on a subdomain?

Yes. Enter the full name, for example blog.example.com, exactly as you would a main domain. DNS records belong to one exact name, so a subdomain can have completely different A, CNAME or TXT records from the main domain. Check each name you care about separately.

What does TTL mean in the results?

TTL, or time to live, is the number of seconds a resolver may keep an answer in its cache before asking again. A TTL of 3600 means up to one hour. Lowering the TTL a day before a planned change helps the new value reach visitors faster.

Why does my DNS lookup show an old value?

Resolvers cache answers for the length of the record's TTL, so an old value can be served until that time runs out. The change itself may be correct. Wait for the TTL to pass, then check again, or use the DNS Propagation Checker to compare several public resolvers.

Why is there no AAAA record for my domain?

An AAAA record holds an IPv6 address, and many hosting setups still use IPv4 only. A missing AAAA record is common and does not stop the site from working for visitors. If your host gives you an IPv6 address, you can add the record at your DNS provider.

What do the DNS diagnostics check?

With All Records selected, the diagnostics confirm whether A and AAAA records exist, count the MX records and nameservers, look for an SPF record in the TXT records and look for a DMARC record. Warnings can be deliberate choices, such as no MX records on a domain that never receives email.

Is this the same as running nslookup or dig?

It answers the same questions as the nslookup command on Windows or dig on macOS and Linux, but runs in your browser with no commands to remember. The query is made from our server rather than your computer, so your own device's DNS cache does not affect the result.