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DNS Lookup

Are your DNS records pointing the right way - before your site or email stops resolving.

Enter a domain - e.g. yourdomain.com

A & CNAME

Where does this domain point right now?

MX & TXT

Mail routing and SPF records at a glance

Nameservers

Which DNS hosts control this domain?

No account required · Free · Results in under 1s

What is a DNS lookup?

Domain name records in plain terms

When DNS records are wrong or still propagating, visitors hit the wrong server and email bounces - often before anyone notices in the hosting panel.

A DNS lookup tool queries public resolvers for A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, and NS records. A free DNS lookup shows what the internet sees right now, not what you intended to save.

Run a one-time DNS check after migrations, hosting changes, or email setup. Add domains to TotalSiteControl monitoring for alerts when critical records change.

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How to use the DNS Lookup

Check public DNS records for any domain in under a minute - no account needed.

  1. Enter the domain

    Type the domain you want to inspect, for example yourdomain.com. Use the apex name or a subdomain if that is what you need to verify.

  2. Run the lookup

    Click Look up DNS. We query public resolvers and return common record types such as A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, and NS when present.

  3. Read the records

    Confirm hosts, mail servers, and TXT values match what you expect after a migration or DNS change. Then fix mismatches or turn on monitoring for change alerts.

Typical DNS issues and solutions

What breaks sites and email - and how to fix it.

Wrong A or CNAME after a move

Visitors hit the old host or get NXDOMAIN while the new site is already live elsewhere.

Point records to the new target

Update A/AAAA or CNAME to the current hosting endpoint, lower TTL before the cutover, then re-check until resolvers show the new values.

Missing or stale MX records

Mail bounces or lands in the wrong provider after you switch email hosting.

Align MX with your mail provider

Copy the MX hostnames and priorities from your provider docs, publish them, wait for TTL, then verify with a fresh DNS lookup.

TXT records out of sync

SPF, DKIM, or domain verification fails because an old TXT value is still published, or the new one never landed.

Replace or add the exact TXT string

Publish the provider’s exact TXT value at the required name, remove obsolete entries that conflict, then re-check TXT for that hostname.

What you get with monitoring

Comprehensive data

Certificate, DNS, and reachability history in one place.

Trusted & accurate

Checks run from our servers - the same path users hit.

Fast & easy

Turn a one-off check into monitoring in under a minute.

Global coverage

External probes so internal network blind spots do not hide issues.

Instant alerts

Email and Telegram when something fails or is about to expire.

30 monitors free

Start free - no credit card required to begin monitoring.

Get 30 monitors FREE

Start free monitoring with email alerts. No credit card required.

DNS lookup tips

Quick habits that catch record mistakes early.

Tip #1 Check apex and www separately

Apex and www often use different record types. Look up both if both serve traffic.

Tip #2 Lower TTL before migrations

A short TTL before cutover makes rollbacks and updates propagate faster.

Show more tips Show less tips
Tip #3 Re-check after every DNS edit

Registrar UIs and DNS hosts can save incompletely. Confirm live records after you click save.

Tip #4 Watch MX and TXT together for email

Mail delivery depends on MX plus authentication TXT records. Verify both when you change providers.

Frequently asked questions

What does a DNS lookup tool do?

It queries public DNS for A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, and NS records for any domain and shows what resolvers return right now.

Is this DNS lookup free?

Yes. Enter any public domain and get instant results - no signup, no credit card, and no limit on one-off lookups.

Why is my website not loading after a DNS change?

Propagation can take minutes to 48 hours, and wrong A or CNAME records also block access. Run a lookup to confirm what public resolvers see for your domain now.

What is the difference between A and CNAME records?

An A record points a hostname to an IPv4 address. A CNAME aliases one name to another. Root domains and mail often need A records rather than CNAME.

How long does DNS propagation take?

Usually minutes to a few hours, though rare cases take up to 48 hours. TTL on old records affects how quickly caches refresh worldwide.

Can I look up DNS for a subdomain?

Yes - enter any hostname such as www.yourdomain.com or mail.yourdomain.com. We query records for that exact name.

Why does my MX record not show up?

Some domains route mail through external providers with MX only on the root, or mail DNS is not configured yet. Check SPF on the same domain with our SPF Checker.

How often should I check DNS records?

After migrations, hosting changes, or email setup. For production domains, use monitoring for alerts when critical records change.

Never miss a DNS change again

Free monitoring with alerts when critical records change.

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