DNS checker
See the DNS records the internet is answering with right now, compare two public resolvers to tell whether a change is still spreading, and check your email records.
What each record does
A and AAAA: where the website lives
An A record points the name to an IPv4 address, the number of the server that hosts your site. AAAA does the same for the newer IPv6 addresses. Your hosting company tells you what to put here.
CNAME: this name is an alias
A CNAME says "this name is really that other name", for example www pointing to your shop platform's address. A name with a CNAME cannot hold other records.
MX: where email is delivered
MX records list the mail servers that accept email for the domain, with a priority number. Lower numbers are tried first. Wrong MX records are the usual reason a new business email address receives nothing.
NS: who runs the DNS
Nameserver records name the servers that hold all the other records. If you changed nameservers at your registrar, this is the record that shows whether the change has taken effect.
TXT, SPF, DKIM and DMARC: proof and email safety
TXT records hold text that services read to verify you, such as Google Search Console. Three of them protect your email: SPF lists the servers allowed to send as you, DKIM publishes a key that signs your mail, and DMARC tells receivers what to do with mail that fails those checks. Without them, Gmail and others are more likely to send your messages to spam.
SOA and CAA: the zone's settings
The SOA record carries the zone's serial number and timers. CAA says which certificate authorities may issue SSL certificates for the domain; if it is missing, any of them may.
TTL: why changes take time
Every answer comes with a TTL in seconds: how long resolvers may keep using the old answer. A change can take up to the old TTL to reach everyone. Lower the TTL a day before a planned move to make the switch faster.
More detail in our guides to DNS records, how long DNS changes take and setting up business email.
Common questions
Why do Google and Cloudflare show different answers?
Each resolver keeps old answers until their TTL runs out. If you changed a record recently, one may still hold the old value. Wait for the TTL to pass and check again.
My domain shows no records at all. What does that mean?
Either the name is not registered, or it has no nameservers set, or the nameservers hold no records yet. Run a WHOIS lookup to see which.
Does this tool change my DNS?
No. It only reads public records. Changes are made in the DNS panel of whoever runs your nameservers, usually your hosting company or registrar.