How to use the DNS lookup tool
Enter a domain name such as example.com and choose a record type, or leave it on All common to query A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT, SOA, CAA and HTTPS records at once. You can paste a full URL and we will extract the hostname. To look up a PTR record, enter an IP address and choose PTR, or use our reverse DNS tool.
Queries are sent over encrypted DNS-over-HTTPS to Cloudflare's public resolver (1.1.1.1), so you see what most of the internet sees, not a cached copy from your own ISP. TTL values are the remaining cache time in seconds.
DNS record types at a glance
| Type | What it does | Example value |
|---|---|---|
| A | Maps a name to an IPv4 address | 192.0.2.10 |
| AAAA | Maps a name to an IPv6 address | 2001:db8::10 |
| CNAME | Alias pointing one name at another | www → example.com |
| MX | Mail servers for the domain, with priority | 10 mail.example.com |
| NS | Authoritative name servers | ns1.example.net |
| TXT | Free text: SPF, DMARC, domain verification | v=spf1 -all |
| SOA | Zone metadata: primary server, serial, timers | ns1.example.net. admin.example.com. 2026101301 … |
| CAA | Which certificate authorities may issue TLS certificates | 0 issue "ca.example.net" |
| SRV | Location of a service (host and port) | 10 5 5060 sip.example.com |
| PTR | Reverse mapping from IP to name | host.example.com |
| DS / DNSKEY | DNSSEC keys and delegation signer | — |
| HTTPS | Connection hints such as HTTP/3 and ECH | 1 . alpn="h3,h2" |
For a deeper explanation with zone file examples, read DNS record types explained.
Troubleshooting with DNS lookups
- Website not loading after a move? Check the A/AAAA records point at the new server, then use the propagation checker to see if resolvers worldwide have caught up.
- Email bouncing? Confirm the MX records and test SPF and DMARC with the email security checker.
- NXDOMAIN? The name does not exist: check the spelling, whether the domain has expired (WHOIS), and whether NS records are set at the registrar.
- SERVFAIL? Often a broken DNSSEC signature or unreachable authoritative servers.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I see different results from my own computer?
Your computer may use your ISP's resolver, which can hold an older cached answer until the TTL expires. You can also have overrides in your hosts file.
Why are there no CNAME records for my root domain?
The DNS standard forbids a CNAME at the zone apex because it would conflict with the required SOA and NS records. Many DNS hosts offer ALIAS or "CNAME flattening" instead.
How do I look up DNS from the command line?
Use nslookup -type=MX example.com on Windows or dig example.com MX +short on macOS and Linux.