DNS Records

DNS Lookup Tool

Select a record type, enter a domain name, and press Enter to check its DNS records instantly.

DNS Lookup Chrome Extension

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This free DNS lookup tool lets you query any DNS record type for any domain — instantly, no signup required. Select the record type, enter a domain, and press Enter to see live DNS data pulled directly from authoritative nameservers. Whether you're debugging email delivery, verifying a DNS migration, or researching a domain's infrastructure, a DNS records check takes seconds and requires no command-line access.

How Our DNS Lookup Works

DNS records are distributed across a global network of nameservers. Our tool queries them directly in three steps:

  1. Nameserver Resolution: We identify the authoritative nameservers for the domain's TLD and query them directly, bypassing cached resolver data to give you the most current records available.
  2. Record Retrieval: The selected record type — or all types if you choose ALL — is fetched and the raw DNS response is parsed into a clean, readable format with all relevant fields: value, TTL, priority (for MX), and record class.
  3. Results Display: Records are returned grouped by type with TTL values shown, so you can immediately see what's live and how long each record will be cached by resolvers.

Why Check DNS Records?

DNS is the foundation of how the internet routes traffic to websites, email servers, and services. Here are the most common reasons to run a DNS lookup:

Troubleshooting email delivery. If email isn't arriving or is landing in spam, MX and TXT records are the first place to look. MX records tell you which mail servers are responsible for the domain; TXT records hold SPF, DKIM, and DMARC policies that email providers use to verify legitimacy. A misconfigured SPF record or missing DMARC policy will cause delivery issues that are invisible until you check the DNS directly.

Verifying DNS propagation after a migration. After moving a site to a new host or updating nameservers, you need to confirm that DNS changes have propagated. Checking the A record from here tells you the IP the domain is currently resolving to globally — useful for confirming a cutover is complete before you decommission the old server. Pair this with our hosting checker to confirm the new provider is showing up correctly.

Checking domain configuration before purchase. Before buying an existing domain or inheriting a client's infrastructure, checking DNS records gives you a map of everything attached to it — subdomains via CNAMEs, third-party services connected via TXT records, mail configuration, and CDN setup. It's a fast way to understand the full picture without needing server access.

Security research and investigation. DNS records reveal a lot about how a domain is set up. NS records show which DNS provider is in use; CAA records show which CAs are authorized to issue certificates; TXT records often expose third-party services connected to the domain. When investigating a suspicious domain, DNS data is one of the most useful starting points.

Confirming CDN and third-party service setup. CNAME records are widely used to connect domains to CDNs (Cloudflare, Fastly, CloudFront) and SaaS platforms. Checking CNAME records lets you verify that a subdomain is correctly pointed to the right service, or identify which CDN a site is using.

DNS Record Types Explained

A Record (Address Record)

Maps a domain to an IPv4 address. This is the most fundamental record type — when a browser visits a domain, it queries the A record to find the server's IP. Most domains have one A record at the root; some use multiple for load balancing or failover.

AAAA Record (IPv6 Address)

The IPv6 equivalent of an A record. As IPv6 adoption grows, most domains add AAAA records alongside their A records so they're reachable over both protocols. If you're only seeing an AAAA record and no A record, the domain is IPv6-only.

MX Record (Mail Exchange)

Specifies which mail servers handle incoming email for the domain. MX records carry a priority value — lower numbers mean higher priority. A domain can have multiple MX records for redundancy. If MX records are missing or misconfigured, email to that domain will fail or bounce.

TXT Record (Text Record)

Stores arbitrary text data associated with a domain. TXT records are used for domain ownership verification (Google Search Console, various SaaS tools), SPF email authentication, DKIM public keys, DMARC policies, and more. A domain with no TXT records likely has no email authentication configured — a common cause of deliverability problems.

CNAME Record (Canonical Name)

Creates an alias pointing one domain name to another. For example, www.example.com might CNAME to example.com, or a subdomain might CNAME to a CDN endpoint. One important constraint: you cannot use a CNAME at the root (apex) of a domain — root domains must use an A record or an ALIAS/ANAME record if the registrar supports it.

NS Record (Nameserver)

Specifies which DNS nameservers are authoritative for the domain — these are the servers that hold the zone file and answer all DNS queries for the domain. If you're migrating DNS providers, checking NS records confirms the delegation change has taken effect.

SOA Record (Start of Authority)

Contains administrative metadata for the DNS zone: the primary nameserver, the admin email address, a serial number (incremented on each zone change), and timing values that control how secondary nameservers handle zone transfers and caching.

CAA Record (Certification Authority Authorization)

Specifies which Certificate Authorities are permitted to issue SSL/TLS certificates for the domain. If a CAA record exists and doesn't include a given CA, that CA should refuse to issue a certificate — a security measure against unauthorized certificate issuance. If no CAA record exists, any CA can issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the DNS lookup tool completely free?

Yes, completely free — no signup or API key required. Query as many domains and record types as you need without creating an account.

What DNS record types can I look up?

You can query A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, NS, SOA, CAA records, or run an ALL query to retrieve every record type at once. These cover the vast majority of DNS troubleshooting and research use cases.

How do I check DNS records for a domain?

Select the record type you want from the tabs above the search box, enter any domain name, and press Enter. Results come back in seconds with the full DNS record data — no command line or dig command needed.

Why do my DNS records look different from what I set?

DNS changes take time to propagate across the global DNS network — this is called TTL (Time to Live). The TTL value on each record tells resolvers how long to cache it before checking again. If you recently changed a record, you may still see the old value until the TTL expires. Most records propagate within an hour; some may take up to 48 hours.

What is a TXT record used for?

TXT records store arbitrary text data and are used for several verification and authentication purposes: SPF (to specify which mail servers can send email for a domain), DKIM (to publish public keys for email signing), DMARC (to set email authentication policies), and domain ownership verification for services like Google Search Console.

What's the difference between an A record and a CNAME record?

An A record maps a domain directly to an IPv4 address. A CNAME record creates an alias — it points one domain name to another domain name, which then resolves to an IP. CNAMEs are commonly used for subdomains pointing to CDNs or SaaS services. You cannot use a CNAME at the root of a domain (the apex); root domains must use an A record.

This free DNS lookup tool gives you live DNS record data without needing a command line. For a complete picture of any domain's infrastructure, pair it with our hosting checker, WHOIS lookup, and domain age checker.