DNS Lookup

Our free DNS lookup tool queries any DNS record type for any domain name. Enter a domain to see its A, AAAA, MX, NS, TXT, CNAME, SOA, and other DNS records with full details including TTL values and record data. This DNS lookup is useful for domain administration, email troubleshooting, migration planning, and verifying DNS propagation.

What Is DNS?

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the internet’s phonebook, originally specified in RFC 1035. It translates human-readable domain names like example.com into IP addresses that computers use to identify each other. DNS is a distributed, hierarchical system that operates across millions of servers worldwide. Every time you visit a website, send an email, or use an app, DNS queries happen behind the scenes to resolve names to addresses. Performing a DNS lookup lets you see exactly which records a domain has published.

Common DNS Record Types

A Record — Maps a domain to an IPv4 address. The most fundamental DNS record type. Most domains have at least one A record pointing to their web server.

AAAA Record — Maps a domain to an IPv6 address. Essential for IPv6 connectivity, and increasingly common as IPv6 adoption grows.

MX Record — Specifies mail servers for the domain, with priority values (lower number = higher priority). MX records tell other servers where to deliver email for your domain.

NS Record — Identifies the authoritative name servers for a domain. These are the servers that hold the definitive DNS records for the zone.

TXT Record — Holds text data, commonly used for SPF email authentication, DKIM public keys, domain verification (Google, Microsoft), and DMARC policies.

CNAME Record — Creates an alias from one domain to another. Often used for subdomains like www pointing to the main domain, or for CDN integrations.

SOA Record — Start of Authority record containing zone administration information, the primary nameserver, the responsible party’s email, serial number, and timing parameters for zone transfers.

TTL (Time to Live)

Each DNS record has a TTL value (in seconds) that tells resolvers how long to cache the record before requesting a fresh copy. A TTL of 3600 means the record is cached for one hour. Lower TTLs mean faster propagation of changes but more DNS traffic; higher TTLs reduce load but delay updates. Before making DNS changes, it is common practice to lower the TTL in advance so the old records expire quickly. You can use a DNS lookup to check current TTL values before planning a migration.

DNS Propagation

When you update a DNS record, the change does not take effect instantly worldwide. Resolvers around the world cache records according to their TTL value, so the old records may persist until the cache expires. DNS propagation typically takes anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours, depending on the TTL of the old records. You can use this DNS lookup tool to check records from a specific resolver to verify propagation progress.

DNS and Email

DNS plays a critical role in email delivery. MX records direct incoming email to the correct mail servers. TXT records hold SPF policies (which IPs can send email for your domain), DKIM public keys (for message signature verification), and DMARC policies (what to do when authentication fails). Misconfigured DNS records are one of the most common causes of email delivery problems. Running a DNS lookup on MX and TXT records is the first troubleshooting step for email issues.

How DNS Resolution Works

When you type a domain into your browser, a chain of DNS lookups takes place. Your device first checks its local cache, then queries a recursive resolver (usually provided by your ISP or a public service). The resolver contacts the root name servers managed by IANA, which direct it to the appropriate top-level domain (TLD) servers, which in turn point to the domain’s authoritative name servers. The authoritative server returns the final answer, and each server along the chain caches the result according to the TTL.

Choosing a DNS Resolver

When performing a DNS lookup, the resolver you query matters. Public resolvers like Google (8.8.8.8), Cloudflare (1.1.1.1), and Quad9 (9.9.9.9) offer fast, reliable resolution with varying privacy and security features. Your ISP’s resolver may return different results due to caching or geo-based responses. This tool uses Cloudflare’s DNS-over-HTTPS API for reliable, consistent results.

Related Tools

To resolve an IP address back to a hostname, use our Reverse DNS Lookup. For domain registration details like registrar and expiry date, try our WHOIS Lookup.