DNS Lookup

All recordsAAAAACNAMEMXNSTXTSOACAA Lookup

Understanding DNS records

DNS is the phone book of the internet: it turns a name like example.com into the technical details that browsers and mail servers need. Every domain has a set of records that control where the website loads from, where email is delivered and which services are verified.

• A / AAAA: the IP address (IPv4 / IPv6) of your website.
• CNAME: an alias that points one name (like www) to another.
• MX: the mail servers for your domain. If email stops working, check these first.
• NS: the nameservers that hold the records for the domain.
• TXT: free text used for SPF, DKIM, DMARC and domain verification.
• SOA: administrative information about the zone, including its serial number.
• CAA: restricts which certificate authorities may issue SSL for the domain.

Changed your DNS?

New records can take time to be seen everywhere. Read how long DNS propagation takes, and learn how to point a domain to hosting.

Frequently asked questions

What is a DNS lookup?

A DNS lookup asks the Domain Name System for the records published for a domain, such as the IP address of its website (A record), where its email goes (MX records) and its nameservers (NS records).

What is the difference between A and CNAME records?

An A record points a name directly to an IPv4 address. A CNAME points a name to another name, which then resolves to an address. A CNAME cannot be used on the root of a domain.

Why do my DNS changes not show?

DNS answers are cached. Changes can take from minutes to 48 hours to appear everywhere, depending on the TTL of the old record.

What do MX records do?

MX records tell the internet which mail servers accept email for your domain, and in which order of priority.

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