How to use the DNS lookup
Type a domain name such as example.com and press Look up. You can also paste a full web address; the tool picks out the domain for you. All records shows every common record type at once, plus a short health check of the records that matter most for websites and email. Choose a single type to see just those records.
Enter an IP address instead of a domain to run a reverse DNS lookup, which shows the host name (PTR record) that the IP address points back to.
What each DNS record does
| Record | What it does |
|---|---|
| A | Points the domain to an IPv4 address: the server that hosts the website. |
| AAAA | Points the domain to an IPv6 address. |
| CNAME | Makes one name an alias of another, for example www pointing to the main domain. |
| MX | Lists the mail servers that receive email for the domain. Lower priority numbers are tried first. |
| NS | Names the servers that hold the domain's DNS records, usually your registrar, host or Cloudflare. |
| TXT | Holds text such as SPF and DMARC email rules and verification codes for Google Search Console and other services. |
| SOA | Technical details about the DNS zone, including a serial number that changes when records are updated. |
| CAA | Lists the certificate authorities allowed to issue SSL certificates for the domain. |
Why DNS matters for SEO and websites
DNS is the first thing that happens when anyone visits your site, including Googlebot. If the A record points to the wrong server, or the www version has no record at all, visitors and search engines simply can't reach the site. DNS checks are essential when you move to a new host, connect a domain to Cloudflare, set up the www version of a site, or verify ownership in Google Search Console with a TXT record.
Email records: SPF and DMARC
If your domain sends email, SPF and DMARC records help mail providers confirm the messages are really from you. Gmail and Yahoo require them for anyone sending in bulk, and missing records are a common reason for newsletters and contact-form emails landing in spam. The health check flags a missing SPF record, more than one SPF record (which counts as an error), and a missing or monitor-only DMARC policy.
Why don't my new records show up?
DNS answers are cached. Each record has a TTL (time to live), in seconds, that says how long other servers may keep a copy. After you change a record, servers that still hold the old answer keep using it until the TTL runs out, which is why changes can take from a few minutes to 48 hours to appear everywhere. Lowering the TTL a day before a planned move makes the switch faster.
Frequently asked questions
What is a DNS lookup?
It's a query that asks the domain name system for the records attached to a domain, such as the IP address of its website or the servers that handle its email.
How long does DNS propagation take?
Usually minutes to a few hours, and up to 48 hours in some cases. It depends on the TTL of the old record and on how long other networks cache it.
How do I check if a TXT verification record is set up?
Choose TXT and look up the domain. Verification records from Google Search Console start with google-site-verification=.
Why does the www version of my site not work?
The www name needs its own DNS record, usually a CNAME pointing to the main domain or an A record. Look up www.yourdomain.com to see if one exists.
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