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About Find DNS records

100% Free No Sign-Up Any Domain All Record Types Real-Time Lookup

DNS — the Domain Name System — is the internet's address book. It translates domain names into the technical instructions that tell browsers where to find websites, email servers where to route messages, and security systems what is authorised to act on a domain's behalf. Every domain has a collection of DNS records, each with a specific job. The DigitalSub Pro Find DNS Records tool queries authoritative name servers in real time and returns all the DNS records configured for any domain — A, AAAA, MX, CNAME, TXT, NS, SOA, and more — in a clean, readable format. No terminal. No technical setup. Enter a domain, see its complete DNS configuration instantly.

2.5T
DNS queries processed every day — one of the internet's most critical systems
8+
DNS record types returned — A, AAAA, MX, CNAME, TXT, NS, SOA, CAA
TTL
Time to Live — shown for each record to indicate caching and propagation timing
Live
Queries authoritative servers directly — not cached data

What the Tool Returns

Enter any domain name and the tool queries its authoritative name servers, returning all active DNS records with their values and TTL (Time to Live). Here is a sample result for a domain with a complete DNS configuration.

Every record shows its type, value, and TTL. The TTL tells you how long resolvers cache this record before checking again — lower TTLs propagate changes faster but increase DNS query load.

Every DNS Record Type — What Each One Does

Each DNS record type serves a specific, distinct purpose. Understanding what you are looking at in your results — and what a missing or incorrect record means — is what makes a DNS lookup useful rather than just informative.

A Address Record — Maps domain to IPv4 Web hosting
The most fundamental DNS record. Maps a domain name to its IPv4 server address (e.g. 93.184.216.34). When anyone visits your website, their browser performs an A record lookup first to find your server's IP. Multiple A records can exist for the same domain — a technique called round-robin DNS used for load balancing across multiple servers. If your site is unreachable, the A record is the first thing to verify.
AAAA Quad-A Record — Maps domain to IPv6 IPv6 hosting
The IPv6 equivalent of an A record. Maps your domain to a 128-bit IPv6 address (e.g. 2606:2800:21f:cb07::1). With IPv4 addresses running out and IPv6 adoption growing significantly, modern domains should publish both A and AAAA records. Browsers automatically prefer IPv6 when both records exist and the user's network supports it. Missing AAAA records means IPv6-only networks cannot reach your site.
MX Mail Exchange Record — Routes email Email delivery
Tells other mail servers where to deliver email for your domain. Unlike A records, MX records point to a hostname (not an IP), and include a priority number — lower numbers are tried first. A domain using Google Workspace might show 10 aspmx.l.google.com. If email to your domain bounces or is undeliverable, the MX records are the first thing to check. Multiple MX records provide redundancy — if the primary mail server is down, delivery falls through to the backup.
TXT Text Record — Verification and email security Security + verification
The most versatile record type — stores free-form text that machines and services use for verification and policy. The most common TXT record uses: SPF (specifies which servers are allowed to send email on your domain's behalf), DKIM (a public key for verifying email signatures), DMARC (a policy telling receivers what to do with failed authentication), and domain verification (Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, and many other services ask you to add a TXT record to prove domain ownership). Missing or misconfigured SPF/DMARC TXT records are the most common cause of emails being marked as spam.
NS Nameserver Record — Who manages the DNS zone DNS management
Specifies which name servers are authoritative for the domain — the servers that hold the official, definitive DNS records. When you change your DNS provider or hosting company and update nameservers (at your domain registrar), the NS records change to point to the new provider. Checking NS records confirms which company currently manages your DNS. Common NS patterns: Cloudflare DNS shows *.ns.cloudflare.com, AWS Route 53 shows *.awsdns-*.com.
CNAME Canonical Name — Alias from one hostname to another Subdomains + CDNs
Creates an alias — points one hostname to another hostname rather than an IP address. The most common uses: pointing www.example.com to example.com, and pointing subdomains to CDN or service provider hostnames (e.g. shop.example.com → yourstore.myshopify.com). Important rule: a CNAME cannot coexist with other record types at the same hostname, and cannot be used at the root domain (example.com itself) — only at subdomains. Use an A record for the root domain.
SOA Start of Authority — Zone metadata DNS zone info
Contains administrative information about the DNS zone: the primary nameserver, the email address of the zone administrator (encoded as a hostname), and timing parameters like how often secondary name servers should refresh their data. The SOA record is primarily relevant to DNS administrators — for most troubleshooting scenarios, it is informational context rather than an actionable record. Every DNS zone must have exactly one SOA record.
CAA Certification Authority Authorization — SSL control Security
Specifies which certificate authorities (CAs) are allowed to issue SSL/TLS certificates for your domain. For example, 0 issue "letsencrypt.org" means only Let's Encrypt can issue certificates for that domain. CAA records are a security control against rogue certificate issuance — any CA that checks CAA records will refuse to issue a certificate if the record does not authorise them. Adding a CAA record is an optional but recommended security hardening step for domains where unauthorized certificate issuance is a risk.

Understanding TTL — Time to Live

Every DNS record includes a TTL value in seconds. A TTL of 3600 means the record is cached for 1 hour — during that time, resolvers worldwide serve the cached version rather than querying the authoritative server again. Lower TTLs (like 300 — 5 minutes) mean changes propagate faster but increase server load. Higher TTLs (like 86400 — 24 hours) reduce query volume but mean DNS changes take longer to reach all users worldwide. Before any planned DNS change, temporarily lower your TTL to 300–600 seconds so the change takes effect quickly after you update the record.

When to Use This Tool

Troubleshooting email delivery

Emails bouncing or landing in spam? Check MX records to confirm the mail server is correct, and TXT records to verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are present and properly configured.

After a hosting or DNS migration

Confirm A records and NS records have updated after switching hosts or DNS providers. Compare what the tool returns against what your new provider's dashboard shows to detect propagation issues.

Verifying domain ownership records

When connecting a domain to Google Search Console, a new email provider, or an external service, look up TXT records to confirm the verification code was added correctly and is live.

Checking subdomain configuration

Use CNAME lookups to verify subdomains (www, shop, mail, app) are pointing to the right destinations — CDN hostnames, third-party services, or your main domain.

Researching competitor infrastructure

MX records reveal which email provider a company uses. NS records reveal their DNS provider. TXT records show which third-party services they have connected. All publicly accessible via DNS lookup.

Pre-launch checklist

Before launching a site, confirm A records point to the correct server, MX records are set for the right mail provider, and any required TXT records for domain verification are in place.

How to Use the Tool

1

Enter the Domain

Type any domain name — e.g. example.com. No need for https:// or paths. The tool automatically strips any protocol or path and queries the root domain.

2

Select Record Type

Choose "All" to retrieve every record type at once, or select a specific type (MX, TXT, A) to focus on what you need. Querying all records at once gives the complete DNS picture.

3

Read the Results

Each record shows its type, value, and TTL. Compare against expected values from your DNS provider's dashboard. Missing records or incorrect values are immediately visible.

Propagation note: DNS changes take time to propagate worldwide — typically 15 minutes to 48 hours depending on the record's TTL and how quickly your registrar processes the update. If this tool shows the old record value after a change, lower TTL propagation is still in progress. Check again in 30–60 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the tool show different results than my DNS provider's dashboard?

Your DNS provider's dashboard shows what you have configured — the records as you have set them. This tool queries the authoritative name servers and returns what is actually live and published in DNS. These differ when:

  • A recent change has not yet propagated — your provider updated the record but the TTL cache has not expired worldwide yet
  • There is a misconfiguration — the record was saved incorrectly in your provider's settings
  • Your provider's dashboard shows a different format than the actual DNS response (for example, some dashboards show relative domain names while DNS returns fully qualified names with trailing dots)

This tool's results represent what real users and email servers worldwide are currently seeing — which is what matters for troubleshooting real-world connectivity and email delivery issues.

Why is my MX record missing even though I set it up?

Several things can cause an MX record to appear missing even after configuration:

  • DNS propagation delay: MX records typically take 15 minutes to several hours to propagate. If you just set it up, wait and check again
  • Wrong domain level: MX records must be set at the root domain (example.com) not a subdomain. Setting MX on mail.example.com when your email addresses are @example.com will result in no MX record being found for the correct domain
  • CNAME conflict: If a CNAME record exists at the same hostname as your MX record, the MX may be suppressed — CNAME records conflict with most other record types
  • Wrong nameservers: If your domain's NS records point to old nameservers from a previous provider, your new MX settings at the new provider will not be visible — the old servers, which do not have the record, are what the world is querying
What is the difference between an A record and a CNAME record?

An A record maps a hostname directly to an IP address. A CNAME record maps a hostname to another hostname — creating an alias. The key differences:

  • A record: example.com → 93.184.216.34 (directly to IP)
  • CNAME record: www.example.com → example.com (to another hostname, which then resolves via its own A record)

CNAMEs cannot be used at the root domain (example.com itself) — only at subdomains. They are commonly used for www, subdomain routing to services, and CDN configurations where the CDN provides a hostname rather than a fixed IP. When the CDN changes its IP, you do not need to update your DNS — the CNAME chain resolves to the CDN's current IP automatically.

How do I check if my SPF or DMARC is set up correctly?

Both SPF and DMARC live in TXT records. After running a DNS lookup with this tool, look in the TXT record results:

  • SPF: A TXT record starting with v=spf1 — for example v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all. If no TXT record starts with v=spf1, SPF is not configured. There should be exactly one SPF record — multiple SPF records break SPF validation.
  • DMARC: Look for a TXT record on the subdomain _dmarc.yourdomain.com — not the root domain. It should start with v=DMARC1. If querying the root domain shows no DMARC record, query _dmarc.yourdomain.com specifically.

Missing or incorrectly formed SPF and DMARC records are the most common cause of legitimate emails being marked as spam by Gmail, Outlook, and other major providers.

Is the Find DNS Records tool completely free?

Yes — completely free, no account, no sign-up, no limits. Look up DNS records for as many domains as you need. This applies to all 47+ tools on DigitalSub Pro.