How it works
Enter a domain (for example example.com) and pick a record type, then press Look up. Leave the selector on All records to sweep A, AAAA, MX, NS, TXT, CNAME, SOA, CAA and SRV in one pass, or choose a single type when you already know what you're after. The query runs against this server's DNS resolver and returns the authoritative answer as the resolver sees it right now.
Results come back as a table with three columns. Type is the record class, Value is the answer (an IP address, a hostname, or a text string), and TTL is the time-to-live in seconds, how long a resolver is allowed to cache that answer before asking again. For MX and SRV records you'll also see a priority in the value cell: lower numbers are preferred, so an MX at priority 10 is tried before one at 20. Use Copy to grab the whole result set as tab-separated text for a ticket or change record.
Reading the output: no A/AAAA record means the name won't resolve to a host; missing MX means mail has nowhere to go; a TXT record starting v=spf1 is your SPF policy; and the SOA serial is worth noting when you're waiting on a zone change to take effect. Because answers are cached, a value here reflects this resolver's view: to compare resolvers worldwide, use the DNS Propagation Checker.
DNS record types reference
| Type | What it does |
|---|---|
| A | Maps a hostname to an IPv4 address. |
| AAAA | Maps a hostname to an IPv6 address. |
| MX | Names the mail servers for a domain, each with a priority (lower is preferred). |
| TXT | Holds free-form text, commonly SPF, DKIM, DMARC and domain-verification strings. |
| NS | Delegates the zone to its authoritative name servers. |
| CNAME | Aliases one name to another; cannot coexist with other records at the same name, and is not allowed at the zone apex. |
| SOA | Start of Authority: primary name server, responsible contact, zone serial, and refresh/retry/expire/minimum timers. |
| CAA | Restricts which certificate authorities may issue certificates for the domain (tags: issue, issuewild, iodef). |
| SRV | Locates a service, e.g. _sip._tcp, giving priority, weight, port and target host. |
| PTR | Reverse DNS, maps an IP address back to a hostname via the in-addr.arpa / ip6.arpa zones. |
Frequently asked questions
Why do I see no records for a domain?
The record type genuinely may not exist: plenty of domains have no CAA or SRV records, for example. It can also mean the name isn't delegated or the resolver has cached a negative answer. Try All records to confirm the domain resolves at all.
What is TTL and why does it matter?
TTL (time-to-live) is how many seconds a resolver may cache an answer before re-querying. A low TTL like 300 means changes propagate quickly; a high TTL like 86400 means edits can take up to a day to be seen everywhere. Lower TTLs a few hours before a planned DNS change.
Why does this show different results than another tool?
DNS answers are cached, and different resolvers refresh on different schedules, so two tools can legitimately disagree until caches expire. This lookup reflects one resolver's current view. For a global comparison across many resolvers, use the DNS Propagation Checker.
How do I check my SPF or DMARC record?
SPF lives in a TXT record at the domain and begins with v=spf1. DMARC is a separate TXT record published at _dmarc.yourdomain.com and begins with v=DMARC1. Query the TXT type to read either.
Can I look up an IP address instead of a domain?
This tool queries forward records for domain names. Reverse lookups (IP to hostname) use PTR records in the in-addr.arpa or ip6.arpa zones and aren't offered here; enter a hostname such as mail.example.com instead.