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DNS lookup

DNS record lookup

Query Google Public DNS for live A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT and SOA records for any domain. Handy for checking mail, SPF and nameserver setup.

Record type
Quick lookup

The basics

What are DNS records?

DNS (Domain Name System) records are instructions stored on authoritative nameservers that tell the internet how to route traffic for a domain. Without DNS, you would need to memorise numeric IP addresses to visit every website. DNS translates human-readable names like google.com into machine-readable addresses like 142.250.70.14.

This tool queries Google's Public DNS resolver (8.8.8.8) over HTTPS to retrieve live records. The results reflect what Google's resolvers currently have cached, which closely mirrors what your browser sees when you visit a website.

New to DNS? Our guide on how domain names work walks through it step by step.

Record types

DNS record types explained

The six records you'll check most often, and what each one controls.

A

Address record

The most fundamental DNS record. It maps a domain name directly to an IPv4 address: when you type example.com into your browser, the A record tells your computer which server to connect to. Every website needs at least one.

AAAA

IPv6 address record

Identical to an A record but maps to an IPv6 address instead of IPv4. As the internet moves to IPv6, more domains add AAAA records alongside their A records to support dual-stack connectivity.

CNAME

Canonical name

Points one domain at another domain (never at an IP). For example, www.example.com might CNAME to example.com, which then has the A record. Common for subdomains and CDN setups.

MX

Mail exchange

Lists the mail servers that accept email for the domain, each with a priority value. Lower numbers are tried first. If you use Google Workspace, your MX records point to aspmx.l.google.com.

TXT

Text record

Stores arbitrary text. Most often used for SPF, DKIM and DMARC email authentication, and to verify domain ownership for services like Google Search Console and Microsoft 365.

NS

Nameserver record

Names the DNS servers that are authoritative for the domain: the source of truth that holds the actual records. Changing NS records at your registrar is how you delegate DNS to providers like Cloudflare or Route 53.

Under the hood

How DNS resolution works

When you type a domain into your browser, a multi-step lookup happens in milliseconds.

  1. 1

    Browser cache

    Your browser checks whether it resolved this domain recently. If it did, it uses the cached IP.

  2. 2

    Recursive resolver

    If not, the query goes to a recursive DNS resolver such as Google 8.8.8.8 or Cloudflare 1.1.1.1.

  3. 3

    Root server

    The resolver asks one of the 13 root server clusters, which replies with the TLD server for .com, .org and so on.

  4. 4

    TLD server

    The TLD server for .com replies with the NS records for the specific domain.

  5. 5

    Authoritative server

    The domain's authoritative nameserver responds with the actual A or AAAA record.

Caching

What is TTL (time to live)?

60 s · 1 min
Failover, dynamic DNS
300 s · 5 min
Planned migrations
3600 s · 1 hr
Typical stable record
86400 s · 1 day
Rarely changing records

Every DNS record has a TTL value measured in seconds. It tells resolvers how long to cache the record before asking the authoritative server again. A TTL of 300 means the record is cached for 5 minutes; a TTL of 86400 means 24 hours.

Short TTLs (60 to 300 seconds) are used when you expect frequent changes, for example during a server migration or with dynamic DNS. Long TTLs (3600 to 86400 seconds) reduce query load and improve performance for stable records.

In the results table above, lower TTL values suggest the domain owner expects that record to change more often.

FAQ

DNS lookup questions

Can't find what you need? Get in touch.

Why does my domain show no records for "ANY"?

Many DNS providers (including Cloudflare) block ANY queries for security reasons, because they can be abused in DNS amplification DDoS attacks. That is why this tool queries one record type at a time: check A, MX, TXT and the others individually.

Is this tool checking DNS propagation?

This tool queries Google's Public DNS resolver. If you recently changed your DNS records and Google still shows the old values, the previous record's TTL has not yet expired in Google's cache. Wait for the TTL duration and check again.

Can I use this to check my email DNS settings?

Yes. Select MX to verify your mail exchange servers, and TXT to check your SPF, DKIM and DMARC records. Misconfigured email DNS is a common reason messages end up in spam.

Why do I see a CNAME record when I asked for an A record?

If the name you queried is an alias, the resolver follows the CNAME chain for you. The answer includes the CNAME itself plus the A (or AAAA) records of the name it points to, so you can see both the alias and the final address.

Can I share a DNS lookup?

Yes. After each lookup the address bar updates with ?domain= (and ?type= for anything other than A), so the link reopens the same query, like MX records for example.com.

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