DNS Record Lookup

Query all DNS record types for any domain — A, AAAA, MX, NS, SOA, TXT, CNAME, CAA.

8 Record Types TTL Information Instant Results

Understanding DNS Records

Learn about different DNS record types and their purposes. DNS is the phonebook of the internet.

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A Records (IPv4)

Maps domain names to IPv4 addresses. The most fundamental DNS record type, translating human-readable names to IP addresses.

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AAAA Records (IPv6)

Maps domain names to IPv6 addresses. Essential for modern internet infrastructure and the next generation of IP addressing.

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MX Records (Mail)

Specifies mail servers responsible for accepting email for a domain. Includes priority values for failover ordering.

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NS Records

Delegates a DNS zone to authoritative nameservers. These servers hold the actual DNS records for a domain.

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TXT Records

Arbitrary text data used for domain verification and email security policies like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

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CNAME Records

Creates an alias from one domain name to another. Commonly used to point www to the root domain or to CDN endpoints.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a DNS lookup? expand_more

A DNS (Domain Name System) lookup is the process of querying DNS servers to retrieve information about a domain name. It translates human-readable domain names (like google.com) into IP addresses and provides various other records like mail servers (MX), nameservers (NS), and text records (TXT).

What are the different types of DNS records? expand_more

Common DNS record types include: A (IPv4 address), AAAA (IPv6 address), MX (mail exchange servers), NS (nameservers), SOA (start of authority), TXT (text records for SPF, DKIM, DMARC), CNAME (canonical name/alias), and CAA (certificate authority authorization).

What is TTL in DNS records? expand_more

TTL (Time To Live) specifies how long a DNS record should be cached by DNS resolvers before querying the authoritative nameserver again. It's measured in seconds. Lower TTL values mean more frequent updates but higher DNS traffic, while higher values reduce traffic but slow down propagation of changes.

How do I check if my DNS changes have propagated? expand_more

Use a DNS lookup tool to query your domain's records. If you see your new values, the changes have propagated to that DNS server. Keep in mind that DNS propagation can take up to 24-48 hours globally due to TTL caching, though it often happens much faster.

What is the difference between A and AAAA records? expand_more

A records point a domain to an IPv4 address (e.g., 192.0.2.1), while AAAA records point to an IPv6 address (e.g., 2001:0db8::1). Both serve the same purpose of mapping domain names to IP addresses, but use different IP protocol versions.

What are TXT records used for? expand_more

TXT records store text information and are commonly used for: email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), domain ownership verification (Google, Microsoft), security policies, and other metadata. They're essential for email deliverability and security.

Why do I need to check CAA records? expand_more

CAA (Certificate Authority Authorization) records specify which certificate authorities (CAs) are allowed to issue SSL/TLS certificates for your domain. This adds an extra layer of security by preventing unauthorized certificate issuance.

How often should I check my DNS records? expand_more

Check your DNS records after making changes to verify they're correct, when troubleshooting connectivity or email delivery issues, or periodically (monthly/quarterly) to ensure your configuration remains correct and hasn't been tampered with.