How to Look Up DNS Records
DNS is the system that translates domain names into IP addresses. When something goes wrong — a website is not loading, email is not arriving, or an SSL certificate is failing — checking DNS records is often the first debugging step.
DNS record types
| Record | Purpose | Example value |
|---|---|---|
| A | Maps domain to IPv4 address | 93.184.216.34 |
| AAAA | Maps domain to IPv6 address | 2606:2800:220:1:... |
| CNAME | Aliases one domain to another | www → example.com |
| MX | Mail server for the domain | mail.example.com (priority 10) |
| TXT | Text data (SPF, DKIM, verification) | "v=spf1 include:..." |
| NS | Nameservers for the domain | ns1.example.com |
| SOA | Start of Authority (zone info) | Primary NS, admin email, serial |
How to look up DNS records
- Enter a domain — type any domain name (e.g., example.com) into the lookup tool.
- Select a record type — choose A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, NS, or SOA. Or query all types at once.
- Review the results — see the records returned, including values, TTL (time to live), and any additional data.
Debugging with DNS
Website not loading? Check the A record. If it is missing or points to the wrong IP, the domain is not connected to a server.
Email not arriving? Check MX records. Missing or incorrect MX records mean email cannot be routed to your mail server.
SSL certificate errors? Check if the domain's A record points to the correct server where the certificate is installed. Also check for CNAME chains that might point elsewhere.
Domain verification failing? Many services (Google, Microsoft, Cloudflare) ask you to add a TXT record to prove domain ownership. Look up TXT records to verify it was added correctly.
DNS propagation? After changing records, it can take up to 48 hours for changes to propagate globally, though most updates are visible within minutes to hours.
Tips
- Use the tool's DNS-over-HTTPS — the lookup uses Cloudflare's DNS-over-HTTPS resolver, which gives you a fresh, authoritative result rather than a potentially cached answer from your local resolver.
- Check TTL values — TTL (Time to Live) tells you how long records are cached. If you just changed a record and it is not showing up, the old record may still be cached for the TTL duration.
- Look for CNAME chains — if a CNAME points to another CNAME, which points to another, it can slow resolution or break if any link in the chain is missing.
- Verify all MX priorities — MX records have priority values (lower = preferred). Check that your primary mail server has the lowest priority number and fallback servers are configured correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DNS?
DNS (Domain Name System) translates domain names like example.com into IP addresses like 93.184.216.34 that computers use to connect to each other. It is often called the phonebook of the internet.
What is an A record?
An A record maps a domain name to an IPv4 address. When you visit a website, your browser performs a DNS lookup to find the A record and connect to that server's IP address.
What is the difference between A and AAAA records?
A records point to IPv4 addresses (e.g., 93.184.216.34). AAAA records point to IPv6 addresses (e.g., 2606:2800:220:1:248:1893:25c8:1946). Most modern websites have both.
What are MX records used for?
MX (Mail Exchange) records specify which servers handle email for a domain. When someone sends email to user@example.com, the sending server looks up example.com's MX records to find where to deliver it.