What is DNS propagation?
When you change a DNS record (new host, new mail provider, Google verification), the change is immediate at your DNS provider. But the resolvers of internet providers and large public services (Google, Cloudflare, Quad9…) keep the old answer in memory for the length of the TTL. Until it runs out, some visitors still see the old version: that delay is what people call propagation.
This tool asks the same question, at the same moment, to 27 public DNS resolvers in North and South America, Europe, Russia, Asia and Oceania, and shows each answer with its response time. A green dot means the resolver returns a record of the type you asked for; a red dot means it does not (no such record, non-existent domain, or no answer). The summary tells you how many resolvers give the most common answer: when they all agree, propagation is complete.
Common situations
- Moving to a new host: pick A and check that every resolver returns the new server’s IP address before you cancel the old one.
- New mail provider: pick MX; while some resolvers still return the old MX, e-mails may still reach the old provider.
- Google or Microsoft 365 verification: pick TXT and wait until the code shows up everywhere before clicking “Verify”.
- Changing name servers (NS): the slowest change, up to 24 to 48 hours. To see every record at once, use our DNS lookup.
How to read the results
Large public services marked “anycast” answer from their site nearest to our server; the location shown is the operator’s. Big websites (Google, content delivery networks) deliberately return different addresses depending on the resolver asking: different answers do not always mean propagation is in progress. Results are kept for 2 minutes; run the check again afterwards to follow the progress.
If our tool’s hosting does not allow direct DNS queries (port 53), the check automatically goes through 12 encrypted public DNS services (DNS over HTTPS), and the page tells you so. Need a migration without downtime? Our team handles it as part of building or redesigning your website.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does DNS propagation take?
As long as the TTL of the old record, usually a few minutes to a few hours. For a change of NS servers, allow 24 to 48 hours while the parent zone is read again.
Why do some resolvers still show the old value?
They cached the old answer and will only ask again when its TTL runs out. It is not an error: the new value will show up on its own.
Why do the addresses of Google or Cloudflare differ between resolvers?
Large websites return an address close to each resolver that asks (DNS geolocation). Different answers do not always mean propagation is in progress.
What does “anycast” mean?
One public DNS service answers from dozens of sites worldwide: you get the answer of its site nearest to our server. The location shown is then the operator’s.