DNS Lookup

?About this tool, how to use it, and FAQ▾

What is a DNS lookup?

DNS lookup queries the Domain Name System for the records published under a domain name. This tool supports the record types you actually troubleshoot with: A and AAAA (IPv4/IPv6 addresses), MX (mail routing), TXT (SPF, verification strings), NS (delegation), SOA (zone authority), CNAME (aliases), PTR (reverse DNS), SRV (service discovery), and CAA (certificate authority authorization).

You can run the same query against Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8) public resolvers and compare answers — useful for spotting propagation delays or split-horizon differences. Each response includes the query time.

How to use

  1. Enter a domain name, for example example.com.
  2. Choose a record type — A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, SOA, CNAME, PTR, SRV, or CAA.
  3. Pick a resolver (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 or Google 8.8.8.8) and run the lookup.
  4. Re-run against the other resolver if you suspect stale caches or incomplete propagation.

Frequently asked questions

Why do different resolvers return different answers?

Resolvers cache records for the duration of their TTL, so after a DNS change one resolver may still serve the old value while another has already picked up the new one. Comparing Cloudflare and Google answers is a quick propagation check.

What is the difference between an A record and a CNAME?

An A record maps a name directly to an IPv4 address. A CNAME maps a name to another name, and resolution continues from there. A name with a CNAME cannot have most other record types alongside it.

What are TXT records used for?

TXT records hold arbitrary text and are the workhorse of email authentication and domain verification — SPF policies, DKIM public keys, DMARC policies, and site-ownership proofs for services like Google Search Console all live in TXT records.