What Is a DNS Lookup?
A DNS lookup is a query that asks the Domain Name System which records a domain publishes - such as A/AAAA (IP addresses), MX (mail servers), NS (authoritative name servers), and TXT (verification/SPF/DKIM). It’s used to troubleshoot routing, email delivery, and domain ownership verification.
How to use this DNS Lookup
- Enter a domain (example.com).
- Select a record type (A, AAAA, MX, NS, TXT).
- Click Lookup to see live DNS results.
Use this DNS Lookup tool to instantly check the DNS records of any domain. This helps identify IP addresses, mail servers, authoritative name servers, and verification records for your domain.
DNS Record Types Explained
- A: Maps a domain name to an IPv4 address.
- AAAA: Maps a domain name to an IPv6 address.
- MX: Mail Exchange record, used for email servers.
- NS: Name Server record, identifies authoritative DNS servers.
- TXT: Text record, often used for verification or SPF/DKIM settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use DNS Lookup to check any domain?
Yes. Enter any domain name to retrieve its DNS records. You can check your own domain, competitor domains, or any public domain to verify DNS configuration.
What happens when a DNS record is deleted?
When a DNS record is deleted, resolvers that cached it will continue serving the old value until the TTL expires. After that, they will return no result for that record type. Email delivery and website access can be affected depending on which record was removed.
What do A, MX, NS, and TXT records mean?
A records map domain to IPv4, AAAA to IPv6, MX for mail servers, NS for name servers, TXT for verification and SPF/DKIM records.
Why is my domain not showing records?
Some domains may have privacy protection or may not have certain DNS records configured yet.
What is TTL in DNS and why does it matter?
TTL (Time To Live) is a value in seconds that tells DNS resolvers how long to cache a record before checking for updates. A low TTL like 300 means changes propagate in 5 minutes. A high TTL like 86400 means resolvers cache the record for 24 hours.
What is the difference between authoritative and recursive DNS?
An authoritative DNS server holds the actual DNS records for a domain. A recursive DNS server (used by your ISP or Google/Cloudflare) looks up records on your behalf by querying authoritative servers.