What this tool does
Enter a domain, choose a record type, and the tool asks DNS for those records and lists them. The types you can choose are A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS and SOA, and an “all” option that returns everything it can find.
What the record types mean
- A and AAAA map a name to an IPv4 or IPv6 address.
- CNAME makes one name an alias of another. A name that has a CNAME can’t have other records at the same level.
- MX lists the mail servers for the domain, with a priority number. Lower numbers are tried first.
- TXT holds free-form text. It is where SPF, DKIM, DMARC and site-verification values live.
- NS lists the authoritative name servers for the zone.
- SOA holds zone details: the primary name server, the admin contact, and the serial number and timers.
Things to know before you trust a result
The query is made from this website’s server, using its resolver, not from your computer. If you have just changed a record, remember:
- Caching. Resolvers keep answers for the record’s TTL. After a change, some places show the old value until the TTL runs out. This tool also caches its own results for five minutes, so run it again after that time if you are waiting for a change.
- Different resolvers can disagree during propagation. A single lookup shows what one resolver sees, not what the whole internet sees.
- Only the record types listed are queried. There is no DNSSEC validation, and no reverse lookups of IP addresses.
Common uses
Checking that an MX record points to the right mail provider, finding where a SPF record is, confirming a CNAME for a CDN or a verification TXT record, or checking which name servers a domain uses before you change DNS.
For a quick name-to-IP result, Domain to IP is simpler. To see who registered a domain, use WHOIS Lookup.
Requests are limited to 15 a minute per visitor.
Why does the tool show an old record after I changed it?
Either a resolver is still holding the old value until its TTL expires, or this tool’s own five-minute cache returned the previous result. Wait and try again.
Does it check DNSSEC?
No. It lists the records returned by the server’s resolver without validating signatures.
Can it look up the domain for an IP address?
No. It does forward lookups only.
Which resolver does it use?
The one configured on this site’s server, so results may differ from your own network.
Which record types can I look up?
A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS and SOA, or an option that returns everything it can find.