Enter any domain below to look up its DNS records in seconds. IPAddress-Lookup.com queries live authoritative nameservers and returns the domain's A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME, SOA, and CAA records so you can verify configuration and troubleshoot problems.

What is DNS and how does a DNS lookup work?

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the address book of the internet. People remember domain names like example.com, but computers route traffic using IP addresses like 93.184.216.34. DNS translates the human-friendly name into the machine-friendly address every time you load a website or send an email.

A DNS lookup starts with a recursive resolver — usually run by your internet provider or a public service such as Google (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1). The resolver walks the DNS hierarchy on your behalf: it asks the root servers, then the top-level domain servers (for example, the servers responsible for .com), and finally the domain's authoritative nameservers — the servers that hold the real, definitive answer for that domain. Our tool queries those authoritative servers directly, so you see the true published DNS records rather than a possibly stale cached copy.

DNS record types explained

Every domain publishes a set of DNS records, and each type serves a different purpose. Here is what each one means when you check DNS records:

• A record — Maps a domain (or hostname) to an IPv4 address. This is the record that points your website's name at the server hosting it.
• AAAA record — The IPv6 equivalent of the A record, mapping a name to a 128-bit IPv6 address for modern networks.
• MX record — Mail exchange records tell other mail servers where to deliver email for the domain. Each MX record has a priority (a preference number); lower numbers are tried first, so a value of 10 outranks 20. An MX lookup is the fastest way to confirm which provider handles a domain's mail.
• TXT record — Free-form text records used for verification and email authentication. This is where SPF (which servers may send mail for you), DKIM (cryptographic signing keys), and DMARC (policy for handling failures) live, along with domain-ownership verification strings for services like Google and Microsoft.
• NS record — Nameserver records list the authoritative servers responsible for the domain. These are the servers every resolver ultimately trusts for answers.
• CNAME record — A canonical name, or alias, that points one hostname at another. For example, www.example.com is often a CNAME pointing to example.com, so both resolve to the same place.
• SOA record — The Start of Authority record holds administrative details for the zone: the primary nameserver, the responsible party's email, the serial number that tracks changes, and the timers that control how secondary servers refresh.
• CAA record — Certification Authority Authorization records specify which certificate authorities are allowed to issue SSL/TLS certificates for the domain, adding a layer of protection against mis-issuance.

What is TTL?

TTL (Time To Live) is a value attached to every DNS record, measured in seconds, that tells resolvers how long they may cache the answer before asking again. A record with a TTL of 3600 can be cached for one hour. Short TTLs mean changes take effect quickly but generate more lookups; long TTLs reduce load but make updates slower to appear. Before a planned migration, administrators often lower the TTL so the switch propagates fast.

DNS propagation after changes

When you edit a DNS record, the update is not instant everywhere. DNS propagation is the delay while resolvers around the world let their cached copies expire — governed by the old TTL — and pick up the new value. This can range from a few minutes to 24–48 hours. Because our tool reads directly from the authoritative nameservers, it shows the newly published record even while cached copies elsewhere still serve the old one, which makes it a reliable way to confirm a change has actually gone live at the source.

Common uses for a DNS lookup

Running a DNS lookup is one of the first steps when diagnosing network problems. Common reasons to check DNS records include:

• Troubleshooting website issues — Confirm an A or AAAA record points at the correct server when a site won't load.
• Fixing email delivery — Use an MX lookup and inspect SPF, DKIM, and DMARC TXT records when messages bounce or land in spam.
• Verifying domain setup — Check that ownership-verification TXT records and CNAME aliases are in place after connecting a new service.
• Confirming nameserver changes — Read the NS and SOA records to verify a domain has moved to new DNS hosting.

Once you've confirmed the DNS side, you can dig deeper with our SSL certificate checker to validate the site's certificate, or run an IP blacklist check to make sure the server's IP hasn't been flagged for spam.

Frequently asked questions

What does a DNS lookup tell me?

A DNS lookup reveals the records a domain publishes — its IP addresses (A and AAAA), mail servers (MX), authentication and verification data (TXT), nameservers (NS), aliases (CNAME), zone administration details (SOA), and certificate authorization (CAA). Together they show how the domain is configured and where its traffic and mail are routed.

How do I perform an MX lookup?

Enter the domain into the tool above and look at the MX section of the results. It lists each mail server along with its priority number; lower numbers are preferred and tried first. An MX lookup quickly confirms whether a domain uses Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or another provider for email.

Why don't my DNS changes show up right away?

Because of caching and TTL. Resolvers hold onto records until the previous TTL expires, so a change can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to propagate everywhere. Since IPAddress-Lookup.com queries the authoritative nameservers directly, it will show your new record as soon as it's published, even while cached copies elsewhere lag behind.

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

An A record maps a hostname straight to an IPv4 address, while a CNAME maps one hostname to another hostname (an alias). Use an A record to point directly at a server's IP; use a CNAME when you want a name like www to always follow wherever another name points.

Is this DNS lookup tool free to use?

Yes. Every tool on IPAddress-Lookup.com is completely free, requires no registration, and can be used as often as you like to check DNS records for any domain.