Check the DNS Records Published for a Name
DNS Lookup retrieves the supported DNS records for the exact name you enter. These records describe where a name points, how a domain receives mail, which servers hold its DNS zone, and other published configuration. Results are grouped by record type so that an address record is not confused with a mail server, a text value, or an alias.
Use the lookup when comparing a domain's published answers with settings in a DNS control panel. You can request a single type when investigating a particular record, or select All Supported Types for a broader view. That selection checks the twelve types offered here; it is not a download of the complete DNS zone or a search for every subdomain.
Choose the Name and Record Type
Enter a domain such as example.com, a subdomain such as mail.example.com, or the full name of a particular DNS record. Record names can include the underscores used by service and policy records. If you paste a website URL, only its hostname is queried; the page path does not identify a separate DNS record.
- Enter the exact domain or record name.
- Select a record type, or leave All Supported Types selected.
- Run the lookup and review the record name as well as its value.
- Copy the details when comparing the answer with your intended DNS configuration.
A record stored at a subdomain will not necessarily appear in a query for the root domain. For example, asking for TXT records at example.com does not also request TXT records at every name below it. Enter the full record name when checking a value supplied by a service provider.
Understand the Supported Record Types
Each record type serves a different purpose. The results show fields appropriate to that type rather than treating every answer as an IP address.
- A and AAAA records provide IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
- CNAME records point an alias to another DNS name.
- MX records identify mail servers and their preference values.
- NS records identify the nameservers associated with a zone or delegation.
- SOA records describe a zone's administrative information, serial number, and timing values.
- TXT records hold text, often used for verification or email policies.
- CAA records specify which certificate authorities may issue certificates under the published policy.
- SRV records describe a service endpoint, including its target, port, priority, and weight.
- DS and DNSKEY records contain information used by DNSSEC.
- HTTPS records publish service binding information for HTTPS connections.
Check the record name on each row, especially when aliases are involved. A response can include information for a name reached while resolving the original query. The value's meaning also depends on its type: an MX preference is not a port number, and an SOA serial is not a TTL. Compare like fields when reviewing two answers.
Read TTL Values and Empty Groups
TTL means time to live and is shown in seconds. It describes how long a DNS answer may be cached. A resolver can return a reduced TTL because it has already held the answer for part of that period. A TTL of 3600 represents one hour, but it does not promise that every cache will change at exactly the same moment after an update.
An empty group means no records of that type were returned for the queried name. A domain does not need to publish every supported type, so empty groups are not automatically configuration errors. A timeout or other technical failure is different: it means the lookup could not establish an answer for that group. Other groups may still contain usable results.
Compare Results with the Intended Configuration
Start with the purpose of the record you are checking. For a web address change, compare the A or AAAA values; for mail routing, compare the MX targets and preferences. If the name or type is wrong, a perfectly valid DNS response can still be unrelated to your change. A published record also does not prove that the service behind it is running or correctly configured.
