DNS Record Lookup
Look up A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME and SOA records for a domain.
DNS Record Lookup checks a domain's A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME, SOA and CAA records in real time. Quickly see which server a site points to, where its mail goes, and whether verification TXT records are in place.
Queries go to a trusted public resolver over DNS over HTTPS, and results are briefly cached for speed. Just enter a domain — no protocol or path needed.
Record types at a glance
- A / AAAA: the IPv4 / IPv6 address a domain points to
- MX: mail servers (priority + host)
- TXT: text values like SPF, DKIM, DMARC and ownership checks
- NS: the nameservers delegated for the domain
- CNAME: an alias to another domain
- SOA: the zone's authority info (serial, refresh, etc.)
- CAA: which certificate authorities may issue for the domain
What TTL means
Each record's TTL (seconds) is how long resolvers cache it. A long TTL slows propagation after a change. If you plan to change a record soon, lower its TTL in advance. To see whether a new value has spread worldwide, use the DNS Propagation Check; for IP-to-host lookups use Reverse DNS Lookup.
How to read common TXT records
TXT results confuse people the most. It's normal for one domain to have several TXT records at once — the leading token (tag) tells you what each one is for.
| Leading token | Purpose | Name to query | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
v=spf1 | Allowed sending servers (SPF) | root domain | v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all |
v=DKIM1 | Mail signing public key (DKIM) | selector._domainkey.domain | v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIGf... |
v=DMARC1 | Spoofing policy (DMARC) | _dmarc.domain | v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:... |
| (no prefix) | Ownership verification token | root domain | google-site-verification=... |
Reading an MX result — worked example
Say a domain's MX records come back like this:
1 aspmx.l.google.com5 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com10 alt2.aspmx.l.google.com
The leading number is the preference, and lower is tried first. Soaspmx.l.google.com (preference 1) is the primary receiver, and senders only fall back to 5 → 10 if it doesn't answer. This exact pattern is classic Google Workspace, meaning the domain receives mail through Gmail. Note that an MX host must be a real hostname that resolves to A/AAAA — pointing MX at a bare IP or a CNAME is invalid per RFC.
Common pitfall
- Long TXT looks truncated: TXT values over 255 chars (typical for DKIM/SPF) are stored as multiple string chunks. Even if they appear split by spaces, the real value is the chunks concatenated into one line.
- Two SPF records: there must be exactly one
v=spf1TXT per domain. Two of them make SPF fail with PermError — merge them usinginclude. - CNAME at the root: you can't put a CNAME on the root domain (
example.com); it can't coexist with the zone's SOA/NS. Use an A record, or an ALIAS/ANAME.
Frequently asked questions
I don't see the record I just changed.
Which resolver is used?
Can it look up internal domains?
Does it do reverse (PTR) lookups?
Related guides
- Why DNS Propagation Is Slow and How to Check ItWhy DNS changes aren't instant (TTL, caching) and how to check and speed up propagation.
- DNS Record Types Explained: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NSWhat each DNS record type does, real value examples, and rules like CNAME restrictions — beginner-friendly.