DNS Lookup: Free Online DNS Records Checker

This DNS lookup tool shows the DNS records published for any domain name, grouped by type: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT, SOA, SRV, CAA and PTR, whenever they exist. Webmasters, developers and SEOs use it to confirm where a site points, which servers receive its email and whether a recent DNS change is live.

What Is a DNS Lookup?

A DNS lookup is a query that asks the Domain Name System for the records stored for a domain name. DNS works like a phone book for the internet: it translates a readable name such as example.com into the values computers need, like an IP address for the website or a server name for email.

Each domain publishes its records at its authoritative nameservers. Every record has a type, a value and a TTL (time to live), which tells resolvers how many seconds they may cache the answer before asking again. A lookup collects those records so you can read them in one place instead of guessing.

The record types you will see

The tool lists every record type it finds for the domain. This table summarizes the ones you will meet most often.

SRV records (used by services such as SIP or chat) and PTR records appear in the same grouped layout when the domain has them. Any other type returned for the domain is shown after the standard ones.

How to Use the DNS Lookup Tool

You only need a domain name to start. The whole process takes a few seconds.

1. Type the domain into the field that shows the example.com placeholder. Use the bare domain or subdomain, such as shop.example.com. A pasted URL with http or a path is cleaned up automatically.
2. Submit the form. The button changes to a Looking up message while the records are fetched.
3. Read the summary line at the top. It shows how many records were found in total and the domain name you searched.
4. Use the record type chips, each with a count such as MX (2), to jump straight to that section.
5. Review each table. Records are listed type by type, and each one is also shown as a short list of labeled values that is easier to read on a phone.
6. Use the link at the bottom to run another lookup, for example for a subdomain or a second domain.

Worked Example: Reading a Small Business Domain

Say you run a store at the fictional domain shopexample.com and customers report that your order emails never arrive. You enter shopexample.com and the tool reports 9 records found, split into A (1), NS (2), MX (2), TXT (3) and SOA (1).

The A record shows 203.0.113.25, so the website points to that server. The two MX records show priorities 10 and 20 with mail server names, which means mail goes to the priority 10 server first and falls back to the other. One TXT record starts with v=spf1, the sender policy that tells receiving servers which systems may send mail for the domain.

Now you can diagnose. If the MX records pointed at a host you stopped paying for, that explains the missing mail. If the SPF record listed only your old email provider and not the new one, messages sent by the new provider could be flagged as spam. In both cases you have a specific record to edit at your DNS host.

How to Read the Results and What to Do Next

A healthy result is a complete, consistent set of records that match what your hosting and email providers told you to publish. Compare each section with the setup instructions you were given.

A and AAAA records

These should match your current host. If the A record shows an old IP address after a migration, update it at your DNS provider. For deeper checks of one record type, the A record lookup and AAAA record lookup pages focus on addresses alone.

MX records

Every domain that receives email needs at least one MX record. Lower priority numbers are tried first. Missing MX records mean mail has nowhere to go, and records pointing at an IP address instead of a hostname are a common misconfiguration.

NS and SOA records

NS records tell you who controls the domain's DNS. If they still list your old provider after you moved, your edits at the new provider will never take effect. The SOA record shows the primary nameserver and a serial number that usually increases whenever the zone changes.

TXT and CAA records

TXT records carry SPF policies, domain ownership codes and other verification strings. Keep one SPF record per domain, because two separate SPF records can cause mail checks to fail. A CAA record restricts which certificate authorities may issue SSL certificates, so an outdated one can block a new certificate.

CNAME records

A CNAME makes one hostname an alias of another, which is typical for www or for a CDN. A hostname that has a CNAME should not carry other record types, and the root domain generally cannot use a CNAME under the DNS standards.

Who Benefits From a DNS Records Check?

Anyone who owns, builds or audits a website benefits, because DNS sits underneath everything else. Here are situations where a lookup is the right first move.

• Site migrations: confirm the A and NS records point to the new host before and after the switch.
• Email troubleshooting: check MX and TXT records when messages bounce or land in spam.
• SEO audits: verify that the domain, www and key subdomains resolve correctly, since a site that does not resolve cannot be crawled or indexed.
• Domain verification: confirm a TXT code you added for a search console or email service is actually published.
• Due diligence: see which providers a domain uses for hosting, DNS and mail before you buy or partner with it.
• Reputation checks: once you know the server IP, run it through the blacklist checker if email delivery still fails.

Best Practices, Common Mistakes and Troubleshooting

Most DNS problems come from a small set of mistakes, and a lookup exposes nearly all of them. Work through these checks before you assume something more complicated is wrong.

The tool says no DNS records were found

This means no records came back for the name you entered. Check the spelling first, since a one-letter typo is the most common cause. Then confirm the domain is registered and has not expired, and that its NS records point at a DNS host where the zone actually exists.

You see an NXDOMAIN or DNS probe error in your browser

Errors such as DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN mean the name does not exist in DNS. If a lookup here finds no records either, the problem is in the domain's configuration, not your device. If records do appear here but your browser still fails, flush your local DNS cache or try another network.

You changed a record but the old value still shows

Resolvers cache answers for the TTL period, so older values can linger. Lower the TTL (for example to 300 seconds) a day before a planned change, then raise it again afterward. To see how a change looks from different regions, use the DNS propagation checker.

Other habits worth keeping

• Look up the exact hostname you care about. The root domain and www can have different records.
• Enter only the domain, not a full page address. Paths and query strings are not part of DNS.
• Screenshot or copy the records before editing, so you can roll back.
• Re-run the lookup after every change instead of assuming it saved correctly.

Limitations to Keep in Mind

The tool shows the records currently published for the name you enter. It does not show historical DNS records, DNS cache contents on your own computer, or DNS leak test results for your connection. It also does not read your device's DNS settings.

It is built for domain names. If you start with an IP address and want details such as location or network owner, try the bulk IP lookup instead. A record that exists only inside a private network will not appear, because the tool reads public DNS. For more utilities in this area, browse the domain tools collection.

Knowing exactly what your DNS says removes most of the guesswork from website and email problems. Enter a domain in the field above, review each record type, and fix the first value that does not match your provider's instructions.