DNS Lookup
Need to know where a domain points, which mail servers it uses, or whether a TXT record was actually published? This DNS lookup queries authoritative records for any domain and returns A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME and SOA values in one pass, without the ceremony of dig or a terminal.
How to run a DNS lookup
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1
Enter a domain
Type the bare domain (no https, no paths), e.g. `example.com`.
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2
Pick record types
Tick A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME or SOA, or leave all selected for a full sweep.
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3
Run the query
The tool hits a public DNS resolver (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 over DoH) and streams each record type.
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4
Copy or export
Copy the formatted output, or export to JSON for pipelines and Zapier webhooks.
Record types, what they are for
| Type | Purpose | Common TTL |
|---|---|---|
| A | IPv4 address the domain points to | 300-3600 |
| AAAA | IPv6 address | 300-3600 |
| MX | Mail exchanger hostnames with priority | 3600 |
| TXT | Free-form text: SPF, DMARC, domain verification, DKIM | 300-3600 |
| NS | Authoritative nameservers for the zone | 86400 |
| CNAME | Canonical name alias (e.g., www -> root domain) | 300-3600 |
| SOA | Start of authority: primary NS, email, zone serial | 3600+ |
Reading an SOA record
The SOA record answers the question “who owns this zone and when did it last change?”. Its fields are:
- mname - primary nameserver responsible for the zone
- rname - admin email with dots replacing the @ (e.g.,
hostmaster.example.com) - serial - version number, usually in YYYYMMDDNN format
- refresh, retry, expire - timers for secondary nameservers
- minimum - negative-answer TTL (how long NXDOMAIN is cached)
An increasing serial number is the signal that a zone has been updated; secondaries poll the primary, compare serials, and transfer when they differ.
TXT records decoded
TXT is the catch-all type. Common uses:
v=spf1 ...- Sender Policy Framework, authorizes mail servers.v=DMARC1 ...- on_dmarc.domain, defines the DMARC policy.v=DKIM1 ...- onselector._domainkey.domain, the DKIM public key.- Domain verification tokens - Google, Microsoft, Stripe and others publish random strings to prove ownership.
- SaaS webhooks - some platforms use TXT to configure custom domains.
Troubleshooting tips
- NXDOMAIN means the domain itself does not exist; check the spelling.
- No answer with authoritative NS present means the specific record type has not been published.
- CNAME at the apex (example.com itself, not www) is technically disallowed by RFC 1034 because CNAME conflicts with SOA/NS at the zone root. Use ALIAS or ANAME records in providers that support them, or A records pointing directly to IPs.
- Propagation - after a change, new records appear at your authoritative NS immediately but resolvers worldwide respect TTL, so wait for the old TTL to expire (or use a lower TTL before the change).
Frequently Asked Questions
Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 over DNS-over-HTTPS by default, with Google 8.8.8.8 and Quad9 9.9.9.9 available as alternatives. All three return the same data for most domains; compare two resolvers if you suspect a local cache poisoning or propagation issue.
Your terminal uses your ISP’s resolver or router-configured DNS, which may have older cached answers. The tool bypasses that cache by querying a public resolver directly, often showing more recent values.
Yes via the reverse-DNS lookup tool; this page focuses on forward records. PTR lookups need an IP address, not a domain name.
The public resolvers may log queries per their own privacy policies, but the tool itself does not store the domain or tie the query to your account.
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