Free DNS Lookup
See a domain's full DNS profile. Our free tool fetches A, AAAA, MX, TXT, and many other records.
Try google.com or
twitter.com
to get started.
What is DNS?
The Domain Name System (DNS) is the internet's phonebook. It translates human-readable domain names (like google.com) into machine-readable IP addresses (like 172.217.14.228). Without DNS, we'd have to remember long strings of numbers to visit any website.
Common DNS Record Types
When you use our tool, you'll see several different "types" of records. Here are the most common ones and what they mean:
- A Record: The most basic record. It maps a domain name to an IPv4 address (the "standard" IP address format, e.g.,
1.2.3.4). - AAAA Record: This maps a domain name to an IPv6 address (the newer, longer IP address format).
- CNAME Record: (Canonical Name) This record forwards one domain to another. For example,
www.example.commight be a CNAME toexample.com. - MX Record: (Mail Exchanger) This record specifies the mail servers responsible for accepting email on behalf of a domain.
- TXT Record: (Text) This record lets a domain owner store arbitrary text. It's often used for verifying domain ownership (e.g., for Google Search Console) or for email security policies like SPF and DKIM.
- NS Record: (Name Server) This record indicates which DNS servers are authoritative for the domain (i.e., which servers hold the "master" list of records).
- SOA Record: (Start of Authority) This record provides important administrative information about the domain.
- CAA Record: (Certificate Authority Authorization) Specifies which CAs are allowed to issue certificates for a domain.
- SRV Record: (Service) Specifies the location (hostname and port) of servers for specific services.
Why Check DNS Records?
You might need to check DNS records for several reasons:
- Troubleshooting: If a website isn't loading or emails aren't being delivered, a DNS check is the first step to see if everything is pointed to the right place.
- Verification: When setting up new services, you often need to add a TXT record to prove you own the domain. This tool lets you confirm the record has been published.
- Security: You can check a domain's MX and TXT records to see if they have email security (like SPF or DMARC) set up correctly.
- Curiosity: It's interesting to see the infrastructure behind large websites—what servers they use, what email providers, etc.
Configuring DNS for Email Delivery
Setting up your domain to send and receive email correctly involves adding several key DNS records. You'll add these records wherever you manage your domain's DNS (often your domain registrar like GoDaddy or Namecheap, or a service like Cloudflare). Your email provider (like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365) will give you the exact values to use.
1. Set the MX (Mail Exchanger) Record
This is the most important record for *receiving* email. It tells the world which server handles your domain's mail.
- Type:
MX - Host/Name:
@(which usually means your root domain) - Value/Destination: The mail server address from your provider (e.g.,
aspmx.l.google.com.) - Priority: A number (like
10) given by your provider. Lower numbers are tried first.
2. Add Email Authentication Records (TXT)
These records are crucial for *sending* email and proving that your messages are legitimate, which prevents them from going to spam.
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework): A TXT record that lists all the servers authorized to send email on your domain's behalf.
- Type:
TXT - Host/Name:
@ - Value: A string like
"v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all"
- Type:
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): A TXT record that adds a unique digital signature to your outgoing emails, allowing receiving servers to verify the sender.
- Type:
TXT - Host/Name: A unique selector provided by your email host (e.g.,
google._domainkey) - Value: A very long string of text (the public key) given to you by your provider.
- Type:
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication...): A TXT record that tells mail servers what to do with emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks (e.g.,
quarantineorrejectthem).- Type:
TXT - Host/Name:
_dmarc - Value: A policy string, like
"v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:[email protected]"
- Type:
3. Wait for DNS Propagation
After you save these records, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours for them to become visible across the entire internet. This is called "propagation." You can use this very DNS tool to check if your new records have propagated and are visible.
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