DNS Lookup Tool

Verify Your Domain Setup with Our Instant DNS Lookup Tool

Quickly troubleshoot website issues or verify DNS changes by looking up any domain's records. Our tool allows you to instantly check A, AAAA, MX, CNAME, NS, SOA, and TXT records from public DNS servers. This is an essential utility for network administrators, web developers, and IT professionals for diagnosing connectivity problems and confirming domain configurations.

About the DNS Lookup Tool

The Domain Name System (DNS) acts as the internet's phonebook, translating human-readable domain names (like www.example.com) into the numerical IP addresses that computers use to communicate. Our DNS Lookup Tool allows you to query the global DNS for the public records associated with any domain name. This process is essential for troubleshooting website and email delivery issues, verifying that recent DNS changes have been published, and inspecting the public configuration of a domain. The tool fetches and displays all major record types in a clear, organized format.

How to Use the Tool and Interpret the Results

Our tool simplifies the process of querying DNS records into a single action.

Using the DNS Lookup Tool

  1. Enter a Domain Name: Type the domain you wish to inspect into the input field (e.g., subnet-calculator.pro).
  2. Click "Lookup Records": The tool will query public DNS servers for all common record types for that domain.
  3. Review the Results: The output will be organized into tables, one for each type of DNS record found (A, AAAA, MX, etc.), showing the corresponding values.

Interpreting the DNS Record Types

  • A Record: The "Address" record. This is the most fundamental record, mapping the domain name to an IPv4 address.
  • AAAA Record: The "Quad A" record. This maps the domain name to an IPv6 address.
  • MX Record: "Mail Exchanger" records point to the mail servers responsible for handling email for the domain. They include a priority number (lower is higher priority).
  • CNAME Record: A "Canonical Name" record acts as an alias, pointing one domain name to another.
  • NS Record: "Name Server" records specify the authoritative DNS servers for the domain. These are the servers that hold the definitive records.
  • TXT Record: "Text" records hold arbitrary text and are widely used for various verification purposes, such as proving domain ownership or implementing email security policies like SPF and DKIM.
  • SOA Record: The "Start of Authority" record contains essential administrative information about the DNS zone.

A Guide to the Domain Name System (DNS)

The Domain Name System is one of the foundational pillars of the internet. Without it, navigating the web would require memorizing long, complex strings of numbers. DNS provides the crucial translation service that makes the internet user-friendly and functional.

The Hierarchical Structure of DNS

DNS is not a single, massive database but a globally distributed and hierarchical system. This structure provides scalability and resilience. The hierarchy has several levels:

  1. Root Servers: At the very top are the root DNS servers. There are 13 logical root server clusters distributed around the world. They don't know the IP for every website, but they know where to direct queries for each Top-Level Domain.
  2. Top-Level Domain (TLD) Servers: These servers manage the information for all domains within a specific TLD, such as .com, .org, .net, or country-code TLDs like .uk or .de.
  3. Authoritative Name Servers: For each individual domain (like google.com), there is a set of authoritative name servers that holds the actual DNS records. These are the ultimate source of truth for that domain.

The DNS Resolution Process

When you type a website address into your browser, a complex but rapid process occurs in the background:

  • 1. Local Cache Check: Your computer first checks its own cache to see if it has recently looked up this domain. If so, and the record hasn't expired, it uses the cached IP address.
  • 2. Recursive Query: If the information isn't cached, your computer sends a query to its configured DNS resolver (usually your ISP's server or a public one like 8.8.8.8).
  • 3. Iterative Queries: The resolver then performs a series of iterative queries on your behalf. It asks a root server, which points it to the correct TLD server. It then asks the TLD server, which points it to the authoritative name server for the specific domain.
  • 4. Final Answer: The resolver asks the authoritative name server for the A or AAAA record. This server provides the IP address.
  • 5. Caching and Response: The resolver caches the answer for a period defined by the record's TTL (Time To Live) and sends the IP address back to your computer. Your browser can now connect to the web server at that IP address.
Professional Recommendation

DNS is a mission-critical service for any business. An incorrect DNS configuration can take your website, email, and other services completely offline. While tools like this are excellent for diagnostics, managing DNS records for a business should be handled by an experienced IT professional who understands the implications of every record type and the process of DNS propagation.

Frequently Asked Questions about DNS Lookups

What is DNS?

DNS (Domain Name System) is the internet's phonebook. It translates human-friendly domain names (like www.google.com) into the numerical IP addresses (like 172.217.14.228) that computers use to find each other on the network.

How do I use this DNS lookup tool?

Simply enter a domain name into the search box and click 'Lookup Records'. The tool will query public DNS servers and display all the common DNS records associated with that domain.

What is an A record?

An 'A' (Address) record is the most basic type of DNS record. It maps a domain name to a 32-bit IPv4 address. This is the primary record for directing users to your website.

What is an AAAA record?

An 'AAAA' record, or 'Quad A' record, maps a domain name to a 128-bit IPv6 address. It is the IPv6 equivalent of an A record.

What is an MX record?

An 'MX' (Mail Exchanger) record specifies the mail servers responsible for accepting email on behalf of a domain. It includes a priority number, where a lower number indicates a higher preference.

What is a CNAME record?

A 'CNAME' (Canonical Name) record is used to create an alias, mapping one domain name to another. For example, `www.example.com` could be a CNAME pointing to `example.com`. Any request for the alias will resolve to the IP address of the target domain.

What is an NS record?

An 'NS' (Name Server) record delegates a domain or subdomain to a set of authoritative DNS servers. These are the servers that hold the official DNS records for that domain.

What is a TXT record?

A 'TXT' (Text) record can hold arbitrary text-based information. It's commonly used for verification purposes, such as proving domain ownership to services like Google Search Console, or for email security policies like SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail).

What is an SOA record?

An 'SOA' (Start of Authority) record contains important administrative information about a DNS zone, including the primary name server, the email of the domain administrator, the domain serial number, and various timers related to refreshing the zone.

Why would I need to do a DNS lookup?

DNS lookups are essential for troubleshooting network and website issues. You might use it to verify that a recent DNS change has propagated, check a domain's mail server configuration, or investigate the IP address of a website.

What is DNS propagation?

DNS propagation is the process by which DNS servers across the internet update their cached information after a change has been made to a domain's DNS records. This process can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to complete worldwide.

How can I find my IP address?

You can use our dedicated What's My IP? tool to instantly see your public IP address and its associated geolocation information.

What is TTL in DNS?

TTL (Time To Live) is a value in a DNS record that tells a recursive DNS server (like your ISP's) how long it should cache the record's information. A shorter TTL means changes will propagate faster, but it also increases the query load on the authoritative name servers.

What is a recursive DNS server?

A recursive DNS server (or resolver) is the server your computer sends DNS queries to (e.g., your ISP's server or a public one like 8.8.8.8). If it doesn't have the answer cached, it performs the full lookup process by querying the root, TLD, and authoritative servers on your behalf.

What is an authoritative DNS server?

An authoritative DNS server is the server that holds the definitive, original DNS records for a specific domain. It is the ultimate source of truth for that domain's information.

Can a domain have multiple A records?

Yes, a domain can have multiple A records. This is a common technique for DNS round-robin load balancing, where multiple servers with different IP addresses host the same content. DNS servers will rotate the order of the IP addresses they return to distribute traffic among the servers.

Can a CNAME record point to an IP address?

No, a CNAME record must always point to another domain name, never directly to an IP address. You must use an A or AAAA record to point to an IP.

What is reverse DNS lookup?

A reverse DNS lookup (rDNS) is the opposite of a standard DNS lookup. It queries the DNS to find the domain name associated with a given IP address. This is done using PTR (Pointer) records.

What is SPF?

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is an email authentication method that uses a TXT record to specify which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of a domain. It helps prevent email spoofing.

How does DNS affect website speed?

The initial DNS lookup is the very first step in loading a website. A slow DNS response can add significant delay before your browser even starts downloading the site's content. Using a fast DNS provider can improve overall website performance.

What is DNSSEC?

DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) is a suite of specifications for securing certain kinds of information provided by the DNS. It uses digital signatures to ensure that the DNS data you receive is authentic and has not been tampered with in transit, protecting against threats like DNS spoofing.

What is a PTR record?

A PTR (Pointer) record is used for reverse DNS lookups, mapping an IP address back to a hostname. For example, a PTR record would be used to resolve the IP `8.8.8.8` back to `dns.google`.

Why are my DNS changes not showing up?

This is likely due to DNS caching. Other DNS servers, including your own ISP's, will store your old DNS record information for the duration of its TTL (Time To Live). You must wait for this cache to expire before the new record is fetched. This is known as DNS propagation.

Can I use this tool to check my local DNS server?

No, this tool performs a live lookup against public DNS servers on the internet. It does not query your local or internal DNS servers. To test a local server, you would need to use a command-line tool like `nslookup` or `dig` from a machine on your network.

Do I need a network professional to manage DNS?

For a personal website or small project, managing DNS is often straightforward. For any business, however, DNS is a mission-critical service. An incorrect DNS change can take your website, email, and other services offline. It is highly recommended to have an experienced IT professional or network administrator manage your company's DNS records to ensure reliability and security.