DNS, the directory of your domain
The Domain Name System translates a name such as example.com into technical information: the address of the server that hosts the website, the servers that receive your e-mail, the verification records requested by Google or Microsoft. When a site stops loading after a change of host, or e-mail no longer arrives, the cause is very often a DNS record that is wrong or missing.
This tool queries public DNS and shows the main records of the domain at once: A and AAAA (IPv4 and IPv6 addresses of the site), CNAME (aliases), MX (mail), NS (authoritative name servers), TXT (SPF, DMARC, verifications) and SOA (zone information). The TTL column shows how long other servers keep the answer before asking again.
Practical cases
- Moving to a new host: check that the A record points to the new server’s IP address. Depending on the TTL, the old server may still receive visits for a few hours.
- E-mail not arriving: check the MX records, then SPF, DKIM and DMARC with our SPF, DKIM and DMARC checker.
- Google Search Console or Microsoft 365 asks for verification: the TXT record you added must appear in the list.
- Not sure where your domain is managed: the NS records show who hosts the DNS zone; the domain name checker gives the registrar and the expiry date.
Why a change does not show up immediately
DNS answers are cached by internet providers and by this tool (5 minutes). After a change, allow for the TTL shown, sometimes up to 24 hours for NS records. If nothing changes after that, make sure you are editing the zone at the right provider: the one listed in the NS records.
Read our guide: SPF, DKIM and DMARC explained.
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Frequently asked questions
Why does my DNS change not show up?
DNS answers are cached for the duration of the TTL, and our tool keeps them for 5 minutes. Wait, and check that you are editing the zone at the provider listed in the NS records.
What is the difference between an A record and a CNAME?
An A record gives the server’s IP address directly; a CNAME says the name is an alias of another name, whose address is then used.
What are TXT records for?
They hold text read by other services: SPF and DMARC for e-mail security, verification codes for Google Search Console or Microsoft 365.