DNS Lookup Tool — Check A, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME & SOA Records Instantly

Behind every website, every email address, and every domain on the internet is a set of DNS records — a collection of instructions that tells the internet where to send traffic, which servers handle email, which domains are verified, and how the domain’s entire infrastructure is organized. Most people never interact with DNS records directly, but when something goes wrong — email stops delivering, a website stops loading, a domain verification fails — DNS records are almost always where the problem starts. Our Free DNS Lookup Tool gives you instant access to all the DNS records for any domain you enter — A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME, SOA, and more — displayed in a clean, readable report with full values, TTL data, and export options.

No account required. No payment. No command-line knowledge needed. Just enter any domain and get your complete DNS records report in seconds.

What Is This Free DNS Lookup Tool?

This is an online DNS query tool that retrieves and displays all publicly available DNS records for any domain you enter. It queries public DNS servers and returns the records associated with the domain — the same records that browsers, mail servers, and other internet infrastructure use to route traffic to the correct destinations.

When you run a lookup, the tool gives you:

• A Record — IPv4 address the domain resolves to
• AAAA Record — IPv6 address the domain resolves to
• MX Records — mail server addresses and their priority values
• TXT Records — text records including SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and domain verification strings
• NS Records — the authoritative nameservers for the domain
• CNAME Record — canonical name aliases pointing one domain to another
• SOA Record — the Start of Authority record containing administrative domain information
• ALL Records — a combined view of every record type found for the domain
• Record Details — Type, Name, Value/Data, and TTL for every record
• DNS Summary — overview stats showing how many records of each type were found
• Export Report — download your complete DNS records report
• Copy Results — copy your findings to your clipboard

You can also filter your view by specific record type — looking at only MX records to diagnose email issues, or only TXT records to check email authentication configuration.

What Is DNS and Why Does It Matter?

DNS stands for Domain Name System. It is the global, distributed directory system that translates human-readable domain names — like yourdomain.com — into the numerical IP addresses that computers use to communicate with each other.

When you type a domain name into your browser or send an email to an address at a domain, the internet must first find out where that domain’s services are located. This lookup process works as follows:

Step 1 — Query Your device sends a DNS query asking “where is yourdomain.com?”

Step 2 — Resolver Your ISP’s DNS resolver — or a public resolver like Google’s 8.8.8.8 — receives the query and begins working to answer it.

Step 3 — Root and TLD Servers The resolver contacts root DNS servers, which direct it to the servers responsible for the domain’s top-level domain (.com, .org, .net, etc.).

Step 4 — Authoritative Nameservers The TLD servers direct the resolver to the domain’s authoritative nameservers — the servers listed in the domain’s NS records that hold the definitive answers about that domain’s DNS configuration.

Step 5 — Response The authoritative nameserver returns the requested DNS record — for example, the A record showing the IP address of the web server — and the resolver caches this answer for future use according to the TTL (Time to Live) value in the record.

Step 6 — Connection Your device uses the returned IP address to connect directly to the web server, load the page, or deliver the email.

This entire process typically takes milliseconds and happens invisibly every time you access anything online. Our DNS Lookup Tool makes the results of this process visible — showing you exactly what records exist and what they contain.

Understanding Every DNS Record Type

Here is a complete, plain-language guide to every DNS record type this tool can retrieve:

🌐 A Record — Address Record (IPv4)

What it is: The A record (Address record) maps a domain name to an IPv4 address. It is the most fundamental DNS record — the one that tells browsers which web server to connect to when someone visits the domain.

What it looks like:

Type: A
Name: yourdomain.com
Value: 203.0.113.45
TTL: 3600

Why it matters: Without an A record, a domain cannot serve a website. The A record is the destination for all web traffic. When you change web hosts, migrating to a new server means updating the A record to point to the new server’s IP address.

Common use cases:

• Pointing the root domain to a web server IP
• Pointing a subdomain (like blog.yourdomain.com) to a specific server
• Setting up multiple A records for load balancing across servers

Common problems detected:

• Missing A record — domain does not resolve to any IP
• Incorrect A record — domain resolves to a wrong or old server IP
• Multiple conflicting A records pointing to different servers

🌐 AAAA Record — IPv6 Address Record

What it is: The AAAA record (four A’s for the four-times-longer address) maps a domain name to an IPv6 address. It is the IPv6 equivalent of an A record.

What it looks like:

Type: AAAA
Name: yourdomain.com
Value: 2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334
TTL: 3600

Why it matters: As IPv4 address space becomes scarcer and ISPs deploy IPv6, browsers that support IPv6 will prefer AAAA records over A records when both are present. A website with both A and AAAA records is accessible over both IPv4 and IPv6 — the most compatible configuration.

Common use cases:

• Enabling IPv6 connectivity for a website
• Providing dual-stack (IPv4 and IPv6) access to a domain
• Hosting on infrastructure that has been assigned IPv6 addresses

📧 MX Record — Mail Exchange Record

What it is: MX records (Mail Exchange records) specify which mail servers are responsible for receiving email sent to addresses at the domain. Every domain that uses email must have at least one MX record configured.

What it looks like:

Type: MX
Name: yourdomain.com
Priority: 10
Value: mail.yourdomain.com
TTL: 3600

Why it matters: Without MX records, email sent to addresses at your domain has nowhere to go. The sending mail server looks up the MX records for the recipient’s domain to know which server to deliver the email to.

Priority values: MX records include a priority number. Lower numbers indicate higher priority — mail servers attempt delivery to the lowest-priority number first. Multiple MX records with different priorities create redundancy:

Priority	Server	Role
10	mail1.yourdomain.com	Primary mail server
20	mail2.yourdomain.com	Secondary — used if primary fails
30	mail3.yourdomain.com	Tertiary — last resort

Common use cases:

• Routing email to Google Workspace (Gmail for business)
• Routing email to Microsoft 365 (Outlook)
• Routing email to a self-hosted mail server
• Setting up email redundancy with multiple MX records

Common problems detected:

• Missing MX records — no email delivery possible for this domain
• Incorrect MX record values — email routing to wrong servers
• Missing secondary MX records — no redundancy if primary fails
• Old MX records pointing to former email providers after migration

📝 TXT Record — Text Record

What it is: TXT records (Text records) allow domain administrators to store arbitrary text data in DNS. While originally designed for human-readable notes, TXT records are now primarily used for machine-readable verification and authentication purposes.

What it looks like:

Type: TXT
Name: yourdomain.com
Value: "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all"
TTL: 3600

Why TXT records are critical: TXT records are used for three of the most important email security standards — SPF, DKIM, and DMARC — as well as domain ownership verification for countless services.

SPF Record (Sender Policy Framework)

SPF defines which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. It helps receiving mail servers identify and reject forged emails — a primary tool against email spoofing.

How to recognize an SPF record: It starts with v=spf1

Example: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:sendgrid.net -all

This record says: only Google’s mail servers and SendGrid are authorized to send email from this domain. Any other source should be rejected.

SPF qualifier symbols:

Symbol	Meaning
+	Pass — authorized sender (default)
–	Fail — unauthorized — reject the email
~	Soft Fail — unauthorized — accept but mark as suspect
?	Neutral — no assertion

DKIM Record (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

DKIM uses cryptographic signatures to verify that an email was actually sent from the claimed domain and has not been modified in transit. DKIM records are actually TXT records stored at specific subdomain paths.

How to recognize a DKIM record: Located at a path like selector._domainkey.yourdomain.com and starts with v=DKIM1

Example: v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA4GN...

The p= value contains the public key used to verify signatures attached to outgoing emails by the mail server.

DMARC Record (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance)

DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM by specifying what to do when an email fails authentication checks — and by providing reporting so domain owners can monitor authentication failures.

How to recognize a DMARC record: Located at _dmarc.yourdomain.com and starts with v=DMARC1

Example: v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com; ruf=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com; pct=100

Key DMARC policy values:

Policy	What Happens to Failing Emails
none	No action — monitoring mode only
quarantine	Move to spam/junk folder
reject	Reject the email entirely

Domain Verification TXT Records

Many services — Google Search Console, Facebook Business, Microsoft 365, Mailchimp, and others — require you to add a TXT record to verify that you own a domain before granting access to their service.

Example: google-site-verification=abcdefghijklmnop1234567890

These are safe, passive records that simply prove ownership — they have no effect on email delivery or website functionality.

🗂️ NS Record — Nameserver Record

What it is: NS records (Nameserver records) identify which DNS servers are authoritative for the domain — meaning which servers hold the definitive, official DNS records for that domain. These are the servers that all other DNS queries are ultimately directed to when looking up records for the domain.

What it looks like:

Type: NS
Name: yourdomain.com
Value: ns1.cloudflare.com
TTL: 86400

Why it matters: NS records determine where all DNS queries for a domain ultimately go for resolution. Changing nameservers is what you do when you transfer DNS management from one provider to another — for example, moving from your registrar’s DNS to Cloudflare, or from one web host’s nameservers to another.

Common nameserver patterns and what they indicate:

Nameserver Pattern	What It Indicates
ns1.cloudflare.com / ns2.cloudflare.com	Domain uses Cloudflare DNS
ns1.godaddy.com / ns2.godaddy.com	Domain DNS managed through GoDaddy
ns1.bluehost.com / ns2.bluehost.com	Domain likely hosted on Bluehost
awsdns (Amazon Route 53 format)	Domain uses AWS Route 53 for DNS
ns1.googledomains.com	Domain uses Google Domains DNS
Custom nameservers (ns1.yourdomain.com)	Domain runs its own DNS servers

Common use cases:

• Identifying which DNS provider manages a domain
• Verifying that a nameserver change has propagated correctly after a migration
• Diagnosing DNS propagation issues after hosting changes

TTL note: NS records typically have higher TTL values (86400 seconds = 24 hours) than other records because changing nameservers is a significant operation and slower propagation is acceptable.

🔗 CNAME Record — Canonical Name Record

What it is: CNAME records (Canonical Name records) create an alias that points one domain name to another domain name rather than directly to an IP address. The browser follows the CNAME to its target, then looks up the A record for that target.

What it looks like:

Type: CNAME
Name: www.yourdomain.com
Value: yourdomain.com
TTL: 3600

Why it matters: CNAME records allow you to point subdomains or alternative domain names to another domain without hard-coding IP addresses. When the target domain’s IP address changes, all CNAME records pointing to it automatically resolve to the new address — without needing to update each one individually.

Common CNAME use cases:

Use Case	Example
www subdomain pointing to root domain	www.yourdomain.com → yourdomain.com
Custom domain for email service	mail.yourdomain.com → ghs.google.com
Custom domain for CDN	assets.yourdomain.com → cdn.provider.com
Custom domain for hosted platform	blog.yourdomain.com → yoursite.wordpress.com
Subdomain for third-party service	help.yourdomain.com → helpdesk.provider.com

Important CNAME restriction: You cannot create a CNAME record for the root domain itself (yourdomain.com without any subdomain prefix) — only for subdomains. A CNAME at the root domain would conflict with the required MX and other records at that level. Use an A record for the root domain, or choose a DNS provider that supports CNAME flattening (also called ANAME or ALIAS records).

Common problems detected:

• CNAME chain — multiple CNAMEs pointing to other CNAMEs before reaching an A record (reduces performance)
• CNAME at root domain — not technically valid and causes conflicts
• Outdated CNAME pointing to a retired service or domain

📊 SOA Record — Start of Authority Record

What it is: The SOA record (Start of Authority record) is a mandatory DNS record that contains administrative information about the domain’s DNS zone. There is exactly one SOA record per DNS zone, and it is required for the zone to function.

What it looks like:

Type: SOA
Name: yourdomain.com
Primary NS: ns1.yourdomain.com
Admin Email: admin.yourdomain.com
Serial: 2026062801
Refresh: 3600
Retry: 900
Expire: 604800
Minimum TTL: 86400
TTL: 3600

What each field means:

Field	What It Contains
Primary NS	The primary authoritative nameserver for this zone
Admin Email	The email of the domain administrator (dot-encoded — the first dot represents @)
Serial	Version number of the zone file — increments each time the zone is updated
Refresh	How often secondary nameservers should check for zone updates (seconds)
Retry	How long to wait before retrying a failed refresh (seconds)
Expire	How long secondary nameservers keep zone data if they cannot reach the primary (seconds)
Minimum TTL	The minimum TTL for records in the zone — also the TTL for negative caching

Why it matters: The SOA record is the authoritative identity document for a DNS zone. It controls how DNS replication and caching work for the entire domain. While most website owners never need to modify their SOA record directly, understanding it helps diagnose advanced DNS issues and verify that zone administration is correctly configured.

Common use case: Verifying that the serial number has been incremented after a DNS zone update — if the serial has not changed, secondary nameservers will not pick up the new records.

What Is TTL and Why Does It Matter?

Every DNS record in your report includes a TTL value — Time to Live — measured in seconds. TTL controls how long DNS resolvers and browsers are allowed to cache a DNS record before they must query the authoritative nameserver again for a fresh copy.

TTL Value	Duration	Practical Effect
60	1 minute	Very fast propagation — changes take effect quickly
300	5 minutes	Fast propagation — good for frequently changing records
900	15 minutes	Moderate propagation
3600	1 hour	Standard propagation — most common default
14400	4 hours	Slower propagation
86400	24 hours	Slow propagation — used for stable records like NS

Why TTL matters for website migrations and DNS changes:

When you change a DNS record — for example, updating the A record to point to a new server — the change does not take effect everywhere instantly. DNS resolvers around the world have cached the old record and will continue using it until the TTL expires. This period during which old and new records coexist is called DNS propagation.

Best practice for DNS changes: Before making any planned DNS change — server migration, email provider switch, domain move — lower the TTL on the affected records well in advance (24 to 48 hours before). This ensures resolvers refresh their caches more quickly, reducing the propagation window from hours to minutes once you make the actual change.

How to Use This Free DNS Lookup Tool

Looking up DNS records takes just a few seconds. Here is the exact process:

Step 1 — Enter the Domain

Type or paste the domain name into the input field. Enter just the domain without https:// or www — for example: yourdomain.com. For subdomain-specific records, you can enter the full subdomain path.

Step 2 — Choose Your Record Type

Select which DNS record type you want to look up using the tabs:

• A Record — web server IP address (IPv4)
• AAAA Record — web server IP address (IPv6)
• MX Record — email server configuration
• TXT Record — SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and verifications
• NS Record — authoritative nameservers
• CNAME Record — domain aliases
• SOA Record — zone administrative data
• ALL Records — every record type in one report

For a comprehensive diagnostic, use the ALL Records option.

Step 3 — Click “Lookup DNS Records”

Click the 🔍 Lookup DNS Records button. The tool queries public DNS servers and retrieves all available records for the domain and record type selected.

Step 4 — Review the Results Table

Your results appear in a clean table showing four columns for every record found:

Column	What It Shows
Type	The DNS record type (A, MX, TXT, etc.)
Name	The domain or subdomain the record applies to
Value / Data	The record’s actual content — IP address, server name, text string
TTL	Time to Live in seconds

Step 5 — Check the DNS Summary

The summary section shows how many records of each type were found — giving you a quick overview of the domain’s DNS configuration completeness.

Step 6 — Export or Copy Your Results

Use Export Report to download your complete DNS records report as a file, or Copy Results to copy all findings to your clipboard for easy sharing with a developer, hosting provider, or email administrator.

Common DNS Problems This Tool Helps Diagnose

Email Not Delivering — Check MX Records First

If email sent to addresses at your domain is not being received, the first check is always MX records. Common issues include:

• No MX records found — email has nowhere to go and will be bounced or lost
• MX records pointing to wrong server — email is being sent to an old or incorrect mail server
• Typo in MX record value — even a single wrong character causes delivery failure
• Missing secondary MX record — if the primary server goes down, email has no fallback destination

SPF Failures — Check TXT Records for SPF

If your emails are landing in spam folders or being rejected by receiving servers, check your SPF record:

• No SPF record found — many receiving servers treat this as suspicious and may reject or flag your email
• Incorrect SPF include statements — if you use multiple email services (like Google Workspace plus Mailchimp), all authorized senders must be listed in the SPF record
• SPF record too long — SPF records have a 10 DNS lookup limit. Exceeding this causes SPF to fail
• Too-permissive SPF — an SPF ending in +all authorizes every mail server in the world to send on your behalf — a serious misconfiguration

Website Not Loading — Check A Records

If a domain is not resolving to any website:

• Missing A record — the domain has no IP address to resolve to
• A record pointing to incorrect IP — web traffic is going to a server that no longer hosts the site
• A record not yet propagated — the TTL on the old record has not expired and the change has not reached all resolvers yet

Domain Verification Failing — Check TXT Records

If a service like Google Search Console, Microsoft 365, or a marketing tool is failing your domain verification:

• Verification TXT record not found — the record was not added or was added to the wrong subdomain
• TXT record value incorrect — a typo in the verification string will cause failure
• Record not yet propagated — recently added TXT records may not be visible to all resolvers until the TTL expires

Subdomain Not Working — Check CNAME Records

If a subdomain (like www.yourdomain.com or blog.yourdomain.com) is not resolving:

• Missing CNAME record — the subdomain has not been configured in DNS
• CNAME pointing to incorrect target — the alias points to a wrong or retired destination
• CNAME chain — the CNAME points to another CNAME which points to another, creating a performance-degrading chain

Who Should Use This DNS Lookup Tool?

Web Developers and Web Designers Verify DNS configuration before and after launching new websites. Check that A records, CNAME records for subdomains, and nameserver records are all correctly configured before directing client traffic to a new server.

IT Administrators and Network Engineers DNS lookup is a standard first-line diagnostic tool for any connectivity issue. Use it to verify DNS records across domains, check nameserver configurations, and diagnose email routing problems without needing command-line access.

Email Administrators Check MX records to diagnose email delivery issues. Verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC TXT records are correctly configured for email authentication. Use the tool to confirm that email migration records have been correctly updated after switching providers.

SEO Professionals and Digital Marketers Verify nameserver configurations during domain migrations to ensure no ranking disruption from DNS misconfiguration. Check that redirects and CNAME aliases are correctly set up for tracking and analytics subdomains.

Domain Investors and Brokers Inspect the DNS records of any domain you are considering purchasing. NS records show who manages the DNS. MX records reveal what email infrastructure is in place. SOA records show when the zone was last updated.

E-commerce Store Owners Verify that payment gateway and third-party service TXT verification records are correctly in place. Check MX records to ensure your business email is correctly configured for order confirmation and customer communication.

Bloggers and Website Owners After setting up a new domain or changing hosting providers, use this tool to confirm that your A records have been updated and your website is pointing to the correct server. Check your CNAME if you are using a custom domain with a hosted platform like WordPress.com or Ghost.

Security Researchers DNS records reveal significant information about a domain’s infrastructure. A records show hosting providers. MX records reveal email infrastructure. TXT records expose what services are connected to the domain. NS records identify the DNS management platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is this DNS lookup tool completely free? Yes — 100% free with no account required, no subscription, and no usage limits. Look up DNS records for as many domains as you need.

Q: What is a DNS record? A DNS record is a database entry in the Domain Name System that maps a domain name to specific information — such as an IP address (A record), a mail server (MX record), or a text string for authentication (TXT record). DNS records collectively define how internet traffic is routed for a domain.

Q: Why are my DNS changes not showing up yet? DNS changes propagate gradually across the internet according to the TTL (Time to Live) value of the changed record. If the old record had a TTL of 3600 seconds (1 hour), it can take up to an hour — possibly longer in some cases — for all DNS resolvers to refresh their cached copies. For future changes, lower the TTL on affected records 24 to 48 hours before making the change.

Q: What does TTL mean in DNS records? TTL (Time to Live) is the number of seconds that DNS resolvers and browsers are allowed to cache a DNS record before they must request a fresh copy from the authoritative nameserver. A TTL of 3600 means the record is cached for 1 hour. Longer TTLs reduce DNS query load but slow down the propagation of changes.

Q: What is the difference between an A record and a CNAME record? An A record maps a domain name directly to an IPv4 address. A CNAME record creates an alias that points one domain name to another domain name — the resolution then continues to find that second name’s A record. A records are used for the root domain and direct IP assignments. CNAME records are used for subdomains and aliases to other domains.

Q: How do I check if my SPF record is correct? Look up the TXT records for your domain. Your SPF record will start with v=spf1. Verify that all mail servers you use to send email — Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, SendGrid, Mailchimp, and any others — are listed with include: statements in the SPF record. The record should end with -all (strict) or ~all (soft fail) to specify how to handle unauthorized senders.

Q: Why does my domain have multiple TXT records? Multiple TXT records on a domain are normal and expected. A domain might have one TXT record for SPF, one for DKIM (usually at a subdomain), one for DMARC (at _dmarc.yourdomain.com), plus verification records for Google Search Console, Facebook, Microsoft 365, and other services. Each serves a different purpose and they coexist without conflict.

Q: What does it mean if I see no MX records? A domain with no MX records cannot receive email. Any email sent to addresses at that domain will typically be bounced back to the sender. This either means the domain has not been set up for email, or the MX records have been accidentally deleted. If the domain is supposed to use email, the MX records need to be configured through the domain’s DNS management interface at the registrar or DNS provider.

Q: Can I look up DNS records for any domain? Yes — all DNS records are publicly accessible by design. The DNS system must be publicly queryable for the internet to function. Any domain you enter in the tool will return its publicly available DNS records. Private records do not exist in public DNS.

Q: What is an SOA record and do I need to worry about it? The SOA (Start of Authority) record is a mandatory administrative record containing management information about the DNS zone — the primary nameserver, admin email, serial number, and timing values. For most website owners and bloggers, the SOA record is automatically managed by the DNS provider and requires no manual attention. It becomes relevant during advanced DNS management, zone transfers, and troubleshooting replication issues between nameservers.

Other Free SEO Tools You Might Find Useful

While you are here, explore the other free tools available on this website:

• What Is My IP Address — check your public IPv4, IPv6, ISP, and location instantly
• Free WHOIS Checker — look up domain registration, owner info, nameservers, and expiry date
• Free Domain Age Checker — check how old any domain is in years, months, and days
• Free SSL Checker — verify SSL certificate validity, expiry, and security rating for any website
• Free Redirect Checker — check WWW vs non-WWW redirects and analyze redirect chains
• Free Google Index Checker — verify whether any page is indexed by Google instantly
• Free Mobile Friendly Test — check viewport, responsive design, and mobile SEO compliance
• Free Meta Tags Analyzer — check meta title, description, and heading structure for any URL
• Free Broken Links Finder — scan any website for 404 errors and broken links
• Domain Authority Checker — check DA, PA, and referring domains for any website