About the DNS Lookup
This DNS lookup tool queries a single record type at a time for any domain name and returns exactly what public DNS holds for it: A and AAAA addresses, MX mail servers, TXT records, NS nameservers, CNAME aliases or the SOA zone record. It is a fast way to inspect how a domain is configured without opening a terminal for dig or nslookup.
The query runs server-side against two fixed public resolvers, Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) and Google (8.8.8.8), with a short timeout and a couple of retries, so you see current public DNS rather than whatever your own device or ISP resolver has cached. Use it to verify a new record went live, confirm nameserver delegation after a registrar or DNS provider switch, trace a CNAME alias, or do a quick sanity check before reaching for a more specialised tool.
The output is deliberately raw. An MX query here returns whatever the resolver hands back, unsorted and unresolved, which is different from the dedicated MX Lookup tool that sorts by priority and resolves each host's own address; a TXT query can come back split into several quoted strings if the record exceeds 255 characters, which is normal per RFC 1035 rather than a sign anything is broken; and an SOA query returns the full zone metadata object, serial, refresh, retry, expire and minimum TTL, in one response.
Domain input is validated against a strict domain-name pattern and the record type against a fixed allowlist before either ever reaches a resolver. A record type that genuinely has no data (ENODATA) or a domain that does not exist (ENOTFOUND) both come back as an empty result rather than an error, any other resolver failure returns a clear lookup-failed response instead. Results carry a no-store header, so nothing is cached between checks, and the query sits behind the same shared per-IP rate limit as every tool here.
How to use it
- Enter the domain name you want to inspect, without http:// or a path.
- Pick the record type from the dropdown: A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME or SOA.
- Submit to fetch that record type's current values from public DNS.
- Read the raw records returned, an array for most types, a single object for SOA.
- For MX, cross-check with the dedicated MX Lookup tool if you also want priority sorting and resolved host addresses.
- For TXT, scan for SPF/DMARC-style strings, then confirm with the dedicated SPF or DMARC checker for full parsing.
- Re-run after making a change; an empty result can mean the record genuinely does not exist yet, not that the lookup failed.
Examples
- Look up example.com type A and see its resolved IPv4 address returned as a plain array.
- Query MX for a domain and get back an unsorted list of exchange/priority pairs exactly as the resolver returned them.
- Query TXT and find a string like "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all" among the returned records.
- Query NS for a domain and see the two or more nameservers it currently delegates to, useful right after a registrar switch.
- Query CNAME for www.example.com and get a single alias target such as example.com, this tool follows one hop, not the full chain.
- Query SOA and get a single object with serial, refresh, retry, expire and minttl fields describing the zone itself.
The seven record types this tool resolves
Each type answers a different question about a domain, and knowing which one to reach for saves a round trip. All seven are queried the same way here, against the same two public resolvers, with the record type simply swapped out.
- A: maps the name to an IPv4 address, the most common record for a website.
- AAAA: the IPv6 equivalent of A, present on dual-stack domains.
- MX: lists mail exchanger hostnames with a priority; here returned unsorted, use the dedicated MX tool for a sorted, resolved view.
- TXT: free-form text, used for SPF, domain verification strings and similar; long values may return as several quoted chunks.
- NS: the nameservers a domain (or subdomain) delegates to, the authoritative source of every other record.
- CNAME: an alias pointing one name at another; this tool resolves one hop, it does not chase a multi-hop chain.
- SOA: zone metadata, serial number, refresh/retry/expire timers and the minimum negative-cache TTL, returned as one object rather than a list.
How this differs from the dedicated MX, SPF, DMARC and DKIM checkers
This tool intentionally stays close to raw resolver output: it validates the domain and record type, runs the query, and hands back exactly what came back. The dedicated checkers for MX, SPF, DMARC and DKIM take that same kind of underlying record and add parsing, sorting and plain-language warnings on top, an SPF check here would just be a TXT string, while the SPF tool counts DNS-lookup mechanisms and flags a missing or overly permissive all qualifier. Reach for this generic lookup when you want to see everything a name has published quickly, and for the specialised tools when you need the record actually interpreted.
Reading empty results and errors correctly
An empty records array is not automatically a failure. Node's resolver reports ENODATA when a domain exists but has no records of the requested type, and ENOTFOUND when the domain does not exist at all, both cases return an empty array here so a genuinely unconfigured record looks the same as a domain typo. Any other resolver failure, a timeout or SERVFAIL for example, comes back as an explicit lookup-failed error instead of a silent empty list, which is the signal to try again or check the domain's authoritative nameservers directly.
Because only two resolvers are queried here, this lookup will not by itself reveal a resolver-to-resolver disagreement right after a change; for that, the dedicated DNS Propagation tool queries six named public resolvers side by side and reports whether they agree.
Common lookup mistakes
A handful of input mistakes account for most confusing results.
- Including http:// or a path in the domain field, strip it down to the bare domain.
- Expecting a CNAME query to show the fully resolved final target rather than the single next hop.
- Treating an apex/root domain's missing CNAME as a bug, an apex name cannot carry a CNAME alongside other records by design, use A/AAAA there instead.
- Assuming a TXT record must be one continuous string, RFC 1035 caps each string at 255 characters, so longer values are legitimately split into chunks.
- Entering an internationalised domain name in native Unicode instead of its punycode (xn--) form, which this tool's domain validation expects.
Frequently asked questions
What is a DNS lookup?
It is the process of asking the Domain Name System for the records published for a domain, such as its IP address (A/AAAA) or mail servers (MX). This tool runs that query for you and shows the result.
Which DNS records can I look up here?
A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME and SOA. These cover addressing, mail routing, free-form text, delegation, aliasing and zone metadata.
How do I check a domain's SOA record?
Select SOA as the record type and submit the domain. You get back one object with the serial number, refresh, retry and expire timers, and the zone's minimum TTL, rather than a list of values.
Why does my MX lookup here look different from the dedicated MX tool?
This generic lookup returns exactly what the resolver sent back, unsorted and unresolved. The dedicated MX Lookup tool additionally sorts hosts by priority and resolves each one's own A/AAAA address.
How long does DNS propagation take?
Anywhere from a few minutes to 24-48 hours depending on the record's TTL and downstream caches. This tool queries two fixed resolvers directly; use the DNS Propagation tool to compare several resolvers at once and see whether they agree yet.
Which resolvers does this lookup use?
Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) and Google (8.8.8.8), queried directly with a short timeout, so results reflect current public DNS rather than your device's local cache.
What is the difference between an A and a CNAME record?
An A record maps a name directly to an IPv4 address. A CNAME instead points one name at another name as an alias, which then has to be resolved again to reach an actual address.
Why does a TXT record sometimes show up split into several strings?
RFC 1035 limits each individual TXT string to 255 characters. A longer value, common with some SPF or verification records, is published as multiple adjacent strings that concatenate back into one record.
Can I look up any domain, even one I don't own?
Yes. This only reads publicly published DNS data, the same information any resolver on the internet can already see, so no ownership of the domain is required.
What does an empty result mean?
It usually means the domain has no record of that type, or the domain does not exist at all, both are reported the same way. A genuine failure (timeout, SERVFAIL) instead returns an explicit lookup-failed error.