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DNS

DNS Lookup

Free No sign-up Public DNS data

Look up publicly published DNS records for any domain or subdomain. See where a hostname points, which mail servers receive email, which nameservers are authoritative, and what TXT records are published - all in one table you can filter and search.

Results come from our server's DNS resolver at lookup time. Your ISP, office network, or VPN may cache different answers until TTLs expire.

Look up DNS records

Enter a domain or hostname. You can paste a full URL - we extract the hostname automatically. Paths like /blog are ignored. Only public domains are allowed.

Free to use. We do not store the hostnames you look up. To test whether the website itself responds over HTTP/HTTPS, use our website checker .

What is DNS?

DNS (Domain Name System) is the internet's phone book. Humans type names like example.com; browsers and mail servers need IP addresses and other routing instructions. DNS translates those names into the technical details services use to connect.

When you look up a domain, you are not hacking or accessing private data. Domain owners publish DNS records on purpose so the world can find their website, deliver their email, and verify their domain with third-party services.

A single domain can have dozens of records at once: one hostname for the website, another for email, TXT strings for security, and NS records that say which company hosts the zone. This tool shows the common record types most people need when launching a site, moving hosting, or fixing mail.

What this tool does

Enter a hostname and we query public DNS for A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS, and SOA records. Results appear in a sortable table with type filters and a search box so you can quickly find a specific IP, mail host, or TXT string.

We also show whether the name resolves to an IP address and list the IPv4/IPv6 answers we see. That helps you tell the difference between "DNS is completely missing" and "DNS exists but only for email, not for the website."

This is a snapshot from our server's resolver, not a global propagation map. If you just changed records, some users may still see old values until cached TTLs expire. For a step-by-step checklist after DNS changes, see our DNS propagation guide .

DNS record types explained

Below is what each record type means in practice and when you would care about it during setup or troubleshooting.

A (IPv4 address)

Maps a hostname to one or more IPv4 addresses (for example 93.184.216.34). If your website does not load, check that the A record for your apex domain or www subdomain points to the IP your hosting provider gave you. Multiple A records can load-balance traffic across servers.

AAAA (IPv6 address)

Same role as A, but for IPv6 addresses. Many sites publish both A and AAAA so IPv6-enabled clients can connect directly. If only AAAA is wrong or missing, some visitors on IPv6-only or IPv6-preferred networks may fail while others on IPv4 are fine.

CNAME (canonical name / alias)

Points one hostname to another name instead of directly to an IP. Common for www pointing at a CDN hostname, or subdomains delegated to SaaS platforms. You cannot place a CNAME at the zone apex (bare example.com) on most providers - use A/AAAA or ALIAS/ANAME there instead.

MX (mail exchange)

Tells sending mail servers where to deliver email for the domain. Each MX row has a priority number - lower values are tried first. If email bounces or never arrives, verify MX targets match your mail provider and that related TXT records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are correct.

TXT (text records)

Stores arbitrary text, often split across multiple strings in one logical record. Used for SPF (who may send mail for your domain), DKIM public keys, DMARC policies, Google or Microsoft domain verification, and other service proofs. Long TXT values are normal.

NS (nameserver)

Delegates the zone to authoritative nameservers (for example ns1.cloudflare.com). If NS records point to the wrong provider, edits you make elsewhere will have no effect. After transferring DNS to a new host, NS must be updated at your registrar.

SOA (start of authority)

Administrative metadata for the zone: primary nameserver, contact email (encoded as a hostname), serial number, and timing values for refresh and retry. You rarely edit SOA manually; it confirms which server is considered authoritative and whether the zone looks healthy.

When to use a DNS lookup

DNS lookup answers "what is published for this name?" It does not tell you whether the web server is online - use the website checker for HTTP status, SSL, and response times. Common reasons to run a DNS lookup:

  • After buying a domain or changing hosting - confirm A/AAAA or CNAME points to the new provider before announcing the launch.
  • When email stops working - check MX records and SPF/DKIM/DMARC TXT entries match your mail service documentation.
  • When only some users cannot reach your site - compare whether apex and www have different records, or whether IPv6 (AAAA) is missing or wrong.
  • Before opening a support ticket - paste exact record values so your registrar or host can see what the public internet resolves.
  • When verifying a third-party service - many tools ask you to add a TXT record; lookup confirms it is visible publicly.

If DNS looks correct but the site still fails, the problem may be the web server, firewall, SSL certificate, or CDN settings rather than DNS itself.

How to read the results table

TTL (time to live)

TTL is how long (in seconds) resolvers may cache this answer before asking again. 300 means about five minutes; 86400 is 24 hours. Lower TTL before a planned migration helps changes spread faster; higher TTL reduces query load but slows rollback visibility.

MX priority

Only MX records use priority. The lowest number is the preferred mail server; higher numbers are fallbacks. A priority of 0 is valid and often means "highest preference" depending on provider conventions.

Status summary

  • Resolves to IP - Resolves to IP - at least one A or AAAA (or gethostbyname) returned a public address. A web server may still be down; DNS only shows where traffic would be sent.
  • Has DNS records (no A/AAAA) - Has DNS records (no A/AAAA) - the name exists in DNS (for example MX or TXT only) but no web IP was found. Common for email-only domains or misconfigured web hosting.
  • No records found - No records found - nothing returned for this hostname. The name may not exist, may not be delegated yet, or may still be propagating.

Common DNS issues (and what to check)

  • Website down but DNS correct - A record points to the right IP yet the site fails: check the web server, firewall, SSL, and CDN. Run an HTTP check separately.
  • www works but apex does not (or the reverse) - apex and www are separate hostnames. Many sites redirect one to the other; both need correct records.
  • Stale IP after a move - old A record still cached because TTL was high. Wait for TTL expiry or lower TTL before the next change.
  • Email deliverability problems - missing or wrong MX; SPF TXT does not include your sender; DKIM/DMARC not published. Filter the table to MX and TXT to audit mail-related rows.
  • Edited DNS in the wrong panel - NS records show who is authoritative. Changes at the registrar do nothing if the zone is managed at Cloudflare, Route 53, or your host's DNS panel (or vice versa).
  • CNAME conflicts - a hostname cannot have a CNAME plus other record types at the same name. Some panels hide this until publish fails.

DNS lookup vs website checker

These tools complement each other. DNS lookup shows configuration data published in the domain name system. The website checker performs live HTTP(S) requests and reports status codes, redirects, SSL, timing, and whether a page responds.

Use DNS lookup when:

  • You changed nameservers, A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, or TXT records.
  • You need to confirm what the world should see before traffic hits your server.

Use the website checker when:

  • DNS already resolves but the site returns errors, timeouts, or SSL warnings.
  • You want to know if the problem is DNS, the server, or something in between (CDN, bot protection).

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal to look up someone else's DNS?

Yes. DNS records for public domains are published intentionally so the internet can route traffic. Looking them up is standard practice for administrators, developers, and support teams - the same data any DNS tool or command-line client can query.

Why do my results differ from another DNS tool?

Different resolvers, geographic locations, and cache states can return slightly different answers at a given moment - especially right after a change. Compare authoritative NS results and wait for TTL expiry if you suspect caching.

Can I look up subdomains?

Yes. Enter any public hostname such as www.example.com, mail.example.com, or api.example.com. Each subdomain can have its own record set unless wildcard DNS is in use.

What if there are no A records but MX exists?

The domain may be set up for email only, or web hosting may not be configured yet. Our status will show "Has DNS records (no A/AAAA)" in that case. Add an A or AAAA (or a CNAME for subdomains) at your DNS provider to point the name at a web server.

Do you store the domains I look up?

We do not intentionally store looked-up hostnames in a database. Standard server logs may record requests as most web servers do. See our Privacy Policy for details.

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