DNS Lookup Tool — Check Every DNS Record
Query A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME, and SOA records for any domain — instantly. Enter a full URL or bare domain and the checker runs server-side queries via Google (8.8.8.8) and Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) resolvers, so you see propagated DNS, not local cache. Free, no signup required.
What are DNS records?
DNS (Domain Name System) records are entries in a distributed database that map domain names to resources — IP addresses, mail servers, verification tokens, name servers, and more. Every time a user visits your website or sends you an email, their device queries DNS to find out where to connect.
The most common record types are: A (IPv4 address), AAAA (IPv6 address), MX (mail exchange server), TXT (arbitrary text — used for SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and domain verification), NS (authoritative name servers), CNAME (canonical name alias), and SOA (start of authority — serial number, refresh interval, admin email).
Frequently asked questions
- An A record maps a domain name to an IPv4 address. When someone types your domain in a browser, their device queries the A record to find the server's IP address. Most websites have one or two A records — one for the apex domain and one for www. Load-balanced sites often have multiple A records (round-robin DNS).
- MX (Mail Exchange) records tell email servers where to deliver mail for your domain. If you are not receiving email, checking your MX records is the first step. Each MX record has a priority number — lower numbers are tried first. Common configurations: Google Workspace uses aspmx.l.google.com, Microsoft 365 uses your-domain.mail.protection.outlook.com.
- TXT records store arbitrary text and are used for: SPF (Sender Policy Framework — which mail servers can send on your behalf), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail — email signing keys), DMARC (policy for handling unauthenticated email), and domain ownership verification (Google Search Console, Apple, Stripe, etc.). A domain can have multiple TXT records.
- DNS records have a TTL (Time-To-Live) value measured in seconds. When you update a record, existing copies cached at resolvers around the world remain valid until their TTL expires. During propagation, some users see the old record and others see the new one. Reducing TTL to 300 seconds (5 minutes) before making a change reduces propagation time significantly.
Related tools
- → SSL Certificate Checker — verify SSL cert validity, expiry, and chain trust
- → Security Headers Checker — check CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options, and more
- → Redirect Tracer — trace the full redirect chain for any URL
Related reading: How to Check DNS Records — A, AAAA, MX, TXT Explained