DNS Lookup
What are DNS records?
DNS (Domain Name System) records are configuration entries assigned to an internet domain that determine where to direct network traffic, email, and other services. Each record contains specific information—for example, a server IP address, a mail server, or a domain security policy.
The DNS system acts as the internet's phonebook: it translates a domain name (e.g., example.com) into a server's IP address. This allows users to use readable addresses instead of numerical identifiers.
Most important DNS record types
A
An A record points to a server's IPv4 address (e.g., 192.168.1.1). This is one of the most important DNS records—it determines which IP address the browser should connect to after entering the domain name.
AAAA
An AAAA record works similarly to an A record but points to an IPv6 address. IPv6 is a newer internet addressing standard that allows for a much larger number of devices.
MX
An MX (Mail Exchanger) record specifies the servers responsible for receiving email for a domain. Each MX record has an assigned priority—a lower value means a higher message handling priority.
TXT
A TXT record stores text data and is often used for domain verification and email security. TXT records are used to store SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, among others.
CNAME
A CNAME (Canonical Name) record creates a domain alias pointing to another domain name instead of a direct IP address. It is frequently used when configuring subdomains and CDN services.
NS
An NS (Name Server) record points to the name servers responsible for handling the domain's DNS zone. These are the servers where all other DNS records are stored.
CAA
A CAA record specifies which certificate authorities are allowed to issue SSL/TLS certificates for the domain. This increases security and prevents the issuance of unauthorized certificates.
PTR
A PTR record is used in reverse DNS and translates an IP address into a domain name. It is often used by mail servers to verify the message sender.
How to check a domain's DNS records?
To check a domain's DNS records, you must send a query to the DNS servers responsible for that zone. This can be done using tools like dig, nslookup, or online DNS checkers.
Our tool sends queries directly to Google (8.8.8.8) and Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) public resolvers. This ensures results are up-to-date and independent of the local DNS cache. Each record is returned with a TTL (Time To Live) value, which determines how long the record can be stored in the resolvers' memory.
DNS FAQ
DNS records can be checked using tools such as ours, which you will find above. Simply enter the domain name and select the record type.
DNS propagation usually takes from a few minutes to 48 hours. The time depends on the set TTL and DNS resolver caches.
Yes. Multiple A records can point to different IP addresses and are often used for load balancing.
An MX record points to the server responsible for handling email for a domain and specifies its priority.