About the DNS Lookup
DNS Lookup shows the public DNS records of a domain name. Type a domain, choose one record type or all the common ones, and see the answers with their values and TTL. It supports A and AAAA (IP addresses), CNAME (aliases), MX (mail servers), NS (name servers), TXT (SPF and verification text), SOA (zone information) and CAA (certificate authorities). Type an IP address instead and it finds the reverse DNS name. The questions go from your browser to Cloudflare's public DNS over HTTPS, with Google's as a backup. Nothing is stored by us.
Updated October 2026
How to use the DNS Lookup
- 1Type a domain name such as example.com, or paste a full web address.
- 2Pick All common records, or one record type.
- 3Press Look up.
- 4Read the records, their values and TTL. DNSSEC-verified answers are marked.
- 5Copy the results to share them or paste them into a ticket.
Reading the record types
A and AAAA records map a name to an IPv4 or IPv6 address, which is where a website or service lives. CNAME records alias a name to another name. MX records name the servers that receive email for the domain, each with a priority. NS records say which servers hold the domain's DNS. TXT records hold text for SPF email rules, domain verification and similar. SOA describes the zone, and CAA limits which authorities may issue certificates for the domain.
Typical checks
People use a DNS lookup to confirm that a website points to the right server, to check that a new record has spread, to find where email goes, to read verification codes added for services such as Google and Microsoft, and to look into problems when a domain does not load.
- Website not loading: check the A and AAAA records
- Email not arriving: check MX and TXT records
- Moving hosts: compare old and new addresses
- Verification failed: read the TXT records
TTL and caching
TTL is the number of seconds a record may be cached. A TTL of 300 means five minutes, 3600 means an hour. After you change a record, some resolvers will keep serving the old answer until its TTL runs out. Checking the TTL tells you how long to wait before deciding that a change has failed.
Related tools
For a deeper look at mail setup, use the MX Lookup, which also checks SPF and DMARC. To find your own address, use What Is My IP, and the IP Address Converter changes between IP formats. The HTTP Header Lookup shows what a server answers once a name resolves.
Limits of a public lookup
This tool shows what public DNS returns. It cannot see private or internal DNS records, nor split-horizon answers meant only for a company network. It also does not test whether a server responds; for that you need a ping or a web request.
Features
- A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT, SOA and CAA records
- All common records in one go
- Reverse DNS for IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
- Shows TTL and DNSSEC verification
- Works with web addresses: it picks out the domain
- Copy the results
Frequently asked questions
What is a DNS record?
DNS is the internet's phone book. Each record ties a name to information: an A record gives an IPv4 address, MX records name the mail servers, TXT records hold text such as SPF and domain verification codes, and so on.
Why do I see different answers from my own computer?
Your computer uses the DNS server of your network, which may have cached an older answer. This tool asks Cloudflare, and answers can be cached there too. The TTL shows how long an answer may be reused.
How long do DNS changes take?
Up to the old record's TTL, often minutes to a few hours, sometimes longer if a cache ignores TTL. Lowering the TTL a day before a planned change makes switching faster.
What does DNSSEC verified mean?
The answer was checked against signatures that prove it was not altered on the way. Many domains do not use DNSSEC, so its absence is common.
What is a CNAME?
An alias that points one name to another. The visitor gets the address of the target name. A CNAME cannot sit at the root of a domain together with other records.
Why does a lookup say the domain does not exist?
NXDOMAIN means no such name is registered or delegated. Check the spelling and the ending, such as .com or .org. A newly registered domain may take a short while to appear.
Can I look up an IP address?
Yes. Type an IPv4 or IPv6 address and the tool asks for its PTR record, the reverse name, if the owner has set one. Many addresses have none.
Is my lookup private?
The domain you type is sent from your browser to Cloudflare's DNS service, and to Google's if Cloudflare cannot be reached. Do not look up names you want to keep confidential. We do not store lookups.