DNS Lookup

Understanding DNS Records

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the backbone of the internet, translating human-readable domain names into the IP addresses that computers use to communicate. Every time you visit a website, send an email, or connect to an online service, a DNS lookup happens behind the scenes.

Our DNS lookup tool queries records from multiple public DNS resolvers simultaneously, including Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8), Cloudflare (1.1.1.1), Quad9 (9.9.9.9), and OpenDNS (208.67.222.222). You can also query the domain's authoritative nameservers directly for the most up-to-date records.

DNS Record Types Explained

A Record

Maps a domain to an IPv4 address. The most fundamental DNS record type, used to point your domain to a web server.

AAAA Record

Maps a domain to an IPv6 address. Essential for IPv6 connectivity as the internet transitions from IPv4.

MX Record

Specifies mail servers for a domain with priority values. Lower priority numbers indicate preferred servers for email delivery.

TXT Record

Holds arbitrary text data. Commonly used for SPF email authentication, DKIM signatures, domain verification, and DMARC policies.

CNAME Record

Creates an alias from one domain to another. Used to point subdomains to other hostnames without duplicating A records.

NS Record

Delegates a domain or subdomain to specific nameservers. Defines which DNS servers are authoritative for the zone.

SOA Record

Contains zone administration details including the primary nameserver, admin email, serial number, and refresh intervals.

CAA Record

Specifies which Certificate Authorities are allowed to issue SSL/TLS certificates for the domain, preventing unauthorized issuance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a DNS lookup?▼

A DNS lookup queries the Domain Name System to translate a human-readable domain name (like google.com) into its associated records, such as IP addresses (A/AAAA records), mail servers (MX records), or text records (TXT). DNS acts as the internet's phone book, directing traffic to the correct servers.

What are the different DNS record types?▼

Common DNS record types include: A (IPv4 address), AAAA (IPv6 address), MX (mail exchange servers), TXT (text data like SPF and DKIM), CNAME (canonical name alias), NS (nameserver delegation), SOA (start of authority), SRV (service location), NAPTR (naming authority pointer for SIP/VoIP), and CAA (certificate authority authorization).

Why do DNS results differ between resolvers?▼

DNS results can vary between resolvers due to DNS propagation delays, caching with different TTL values, geographic DNS routing (GeoDNS), and filtering by some resolvers. Comparing results across Google (8.8.8.8), Cloudflare (1.1.1.1), and Quad9 (9.9.9.9) helps identify propagation issues after making DNS changes.

What is DNS propagation and how long does it take?▼

DNS propagation is the time it takes for DNS changes to spread across all DNS servers worldwide. It typically takes 15 minutes to 48 hours, depending on the record's TTL (Time To Live) value. Lower TTL values mean faster propagation. You can check propagation by comparing results across multiple resolvers.

How do I use the DNS lookup API from the command line?▼

You can query DNS records directly with curl: "curl https://dnsx.dev/dns/google.com" for A records, "curl https://dnsx.dev/dns/google.com/mx" for MX records, or "curl https://dnsx.dev/dns/mx/gmail.com" for the full MX flow with resolved IP addresses and geolocation data.