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DNS Lookup Tool

Query any DNS record type for any domain. Look up A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME, SOA, and PTR records with fast, accurate results.

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Understanding DNS Records

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the internet's phone book. It translates human-friendly domain names into the numerical IP addresses that computers use to communicate. Every time you visit a website, send an email, or connect to any internet service, DNS lookups happen behind the scenes.

DNS records come in many types, each serving a specific purpose. A records and AAAA records map domains to IPv4 and IPv6 addresses respectively. MX records tell other mail servers where to deliver email for your domain, with priority values determining the order of preference.

TXT records are versatile text entries used for email authentication ( SPF, DKIM, DMARC), domain verification, and other purposes. NS records identify the authoritative name servers for a zone, while CNAME records create aliases that point one domain name to another.

SOA (Start of Authority) records contain essential zone metadata including the primary name server, administrator email, serial number, and timing parameters for zone transfers and caching. PTR records provide reverse DNS mappings, translating IP addresses back to hostnames — critical for email deliverability and server identification.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a DNS lookup?
A DNS lookup queries the Domain Name System to retrieve records associated with a domain name. DNS translates human-readable domain names (like example.com) into machine-readable data such as IP addresses, mail server addresses, and configuration records. Different record types serve different purposes in the DNS ecosystem.
What are the different DNS record types?
A records map a domain to an IPv4 address. AAAA records map to IPv6 addresses. MX records specify mail servers for a domain. TXT records hold arbitrary text data (used for SPF, DKIM, and domain ownership verification). NS records identify the authoritative name servers for a zone. CNAME records create aliases pointing one domain to another. SOA records contain zone authority information. PTR records provide reverse DNS mappings from IP addresses back to hostnames.
How do I check if my DNS changes have propagated?
DNS changes propagate based on the TTL (Time to Live) value of the record being changed. Lower TTL values mean faster propagation. You can use this DNS lookup tool to check what value different resolvers are returning for your domain. If you're seeing the old value, either the TTL hasn't expired yet or your local resolver has cached the old record. DNS propagation typically completes globally within 1-48 hours.
What's the difference between A and AAAA records?
A records (Address records) map a hostname to an IPv4 address (e.g., 192.168.1.1). AAAA records (quad-A) map a hostname to an IPv6 address (e.g., 2001:db8::1). Most domains have both — A records for IPv4 connectivity and AAAA records for IPv6. Email systems can use either protocol, though IPv4 is still more common for mail server connections.
How do I find my domain's MX records?
Use this tool and select 'MX' as the record type. Enter your domain name and click Lookup. The results show your mail servers and their priority values (lower priority number = higher priority). Multiple MX records provide redundancy — email is delivered to the highest priority server first, falling back to lower priority servers if the first is unavailable.

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