DNS Lookup
Instantly query and analyze DNS records including A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, NS, SOA, and CAA records with real-time results and TTL analysis
💡 Privacy Tip: Protect your identity while querying DNS records - learn how to hide your IP address
What is DNS Lookup?
DNS (Domain Name System) lookup is the process of querying DNS servers to retrieve information about a domain name. When you perform a DNS lookup, you're asking DNS servers to translate human-readable domain names (like example.com) into machine-readable IP addresses and other associated records.
Our advanced DNS lookup tool allows you to query multiple record types simultaneously, providing comprehensive DNS information including A records (IPv4 addresses), AAAA records (IPv6 addresses), MX records (mail servers), TXT records (text data for verification and security), CNAME records (domain aliases), NS records (nameservers), SOA records (zone authority), and CAA records (certificate authority authorization). Learn more about how to lookup IP addresses.
💡 Pro Tip: DNS lookup is essential for website administrators, developers, and IT professionals for troubleshooting email delivery, verifying domain configuration, diagnosing DNS propagation issues, and analyzing domain security settings.
Understanding DNS Record Types
📍 A Record (IPv4)
Maps domain names to IPv4 addresses (e.g., 192.168.1.1). Most fundamental DNS record for website hosting.
📍 AAAA Record (IPv6)
Maps domain names to IPv6 addresses (e.g., 2001:0db8::1). Essential for modern IPv6 infrastructure.
✉️ MX Record (Mail)
Specifies mail servers responsible for receiving email. Includes priority values for failover routing.
📝 TXT Record
Stores text data for domain verification, SPF (email authentication), DKIM, and DMARC policies.
🔗 CNAME Record
Creates domain aliases pointing to another domain. Useful for subdomains and CDN configuration.
🌐 NS Record
Identifies authoritative nameservers for the domain. Critical for DNS delegation and routing.
⚙️ SOA Record
Contains zone authority info including primary nameserver, admin email, and refresh timers.
🔒 CAA Record
Specifies which certificate authorities can issue SSL/TLS certificates for your domain.
Common DNS Lookup Use Cases
🔧 Troubleshooting Email Delivery
Check MX records to verify mail server configuration, validate SPF records in TXT entries to ensure proper email authentication, and diagnose email bounce or spam issues by analyzing DMARC and DKIM records. Use our WHOIS Lookup tool to verify domain ownership details.
🌐 Website Migration & DNS Changes
Verify A/AAAA records after website migration to ensure DNS points to new hosting, monitor DNS propagation across different servers, and check TTL values to estimate propagation time. After DNS changes, always verify your SSL certificate is working correctly.
🔐 Security & Domain Verification
Validate domain ownership through TXT records for services like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, check CAA records to ensure SSL certificate issuance is restricted to authorized CAs, and analyze DNSSEC validation status. For complete privacy protection, consider using a VPN to hide your IP address.
⚡ Performance Optimization
Check CNAME records for CDN configuration, verify nameserver (NS) records for proper DNS delegation, and analyze TTL values to optimize DNS caching and reduce query load. Run a speed test to measure your network performance after DNS optimizations.
Related guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a DNS lookup and why do I need it?
DNS lookup queries Domain Name System servers to retrieve DNS records for a domain. You need it to verify domain configuration, troubleshoot email delivery (MX records), check website hosting (A/AAAA records), validate domain ownership (TXT records), diagnose DNS propagation issues, and analyze domain security settings (CAA, DNSSEC). Our tool provides instant access to all critical DNS records in one interface. Learn more about how IP addresses work in our blog.
How long does DNS propagation take?
DNS propagation typically takes 24-48 hours globally, but varies based on TTL settings. Lower TTL values (300-600 seconds) enable faster updates, while higher values (3600-86400 seconds) reduce DNS server load but slow propagation. Our tool displays TTL values for each record, helping you estimate propagation time and plan DNS changes accordingly.
Why are my DNS records not showing up?
DNS records may not appear due to: recent changes still propagating (wait 24-48 hours), incorrect configuration at registrar/hosting provider, DNS server caching (try different DNS servers in our tool), domain not properly registered or expired, nameserver misconfiguration, or records not yet added. Use our tool to verify which records exist and check with multiple DNS servers to identify propagation issues.
What is TTL in DNS records?
TTL (Time To Live) is the duration in seconds that DNS records are cached by DNS servers before refreshing. Common values: 300s (5 min) for frequently changing records, 3600s (1 hour) for standard use, 86400s (24 hours) for stable domains. Lower TTL enables faster propagation but increases DNS query load. Our tool displays TTL for each record, helping you optimize DNS performance and plan updates.
How do I troubleshoot email delivery with DNS lookup?
Check MX records to verify mail servers with correct priority (lower number = higher priority), validate SPF records (TXT) to ensure sending servers are authorized, check DKIM records (TXT) for email authentication keys, verify DMARC records (TXT) for email policy settings, and confirm A/AAAA records for mail server IP addresses. Our tool retrieves all these records instantly for comprehensive email troubleshooting.
Can I check DNS from different DNS servers?
Yes! Our tool allows you to select different DNS servers including Google DNS (8.8.8.8), Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1), and Quad9 DNS (9.9.9.9). Checking multiple DNS servers helps identify propagation status, detect caching issues, and verify consistent DNS resolution across different providers worldwide.
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