Domains and DNS

How do I check the DNS records for a domain?

Every DNS problem starts the same way - by actually looking at what the records say, instead of guessing from the symptoms.

The fastest way to check a domain’s DNS records is a free online DNS lookup tool - enter the domain and it queries A, AAAA, MX, NS, TXT and CNAME records in one pass and shows the TTL for each. On a computer, the same information comes from running dig example.com ANY or, record by record, dig example.com MX on Mac or Linux, or nslookup -type=MX example.com on Windows. All three methods query the public DNS system and return the same underlying data - a lookup tool is simply faster when you do not have a terminal open.

Worked out 2026-09-18 (IST) · public DNS resolution, no split-horizon or internal-only DNS involved

Method 1: an online DNS lookup tool

The fastest route for most people. Enter a domain, and a lookup tool queries the public DNS system for every common record type and returns them together with each one’s TTL - no software to install, and it works from a phone as easily as a laptop.

Method 2: dig, on Mac and Linux

Common dig commands
Command	What it returns
dig example.com A	IPv4 address(es)
dig example.com AAAA	IPv6 address(es), if published
dig example.com MX	Mail servers and their priority
dig example.com TXT	Text records, including SPF and domain verification strings
dig example.com NS	The authoritative name servers for the domain
dig +short example.com A	Same query, output stripped to just the value

Method 3: nslookup, on Windows

Common nslookup commands
Command	What it returns
nslookup example.com	The default A record lookup
nslookup -type=MX example.com	Mail servers and priority
nslookup -type=TXT example.com	Text records
nslookup -type=NS example.com	Authoritative name servers

Reading the output

Whichever method is used, the same four things matter: the record type (what kind of answer this is), the value (the address, host name or text), the TTL (how long a resolver may cache the answer - see what TTL means), and, for MX, the priority number - see what an MX record is for why lower wins.

If the records look correct but a service is still not working, the next place to look is whether the change has propagated yet, not the records themselves.

Sources: IETF RFC 1034 and RFC 1035 (domain names), RFC 2181 (clarifications to the DNS specification), RFC 5321 (SMTP) and RFC 7505 (null MX).

Check your own numbers

Run this exact lookup - every major record type, one search, no command line.

DNS LookupA, AAAA, MX, NS, TXT, CNAME and SOA records, live from the resolver.

Frequently asked

Why does dig example.com ANY sometimes return nothing useful?

Because ANY is a special query type many modern resolvers and authoritative servers now refuse or answer incompletely, partly as a defence against DNS amplification abuse. Querying specific types - A, MX, TXT, NS - one at a time is more reliable than relying on ANY.

Why do I see different results than someone else checking the same domain?

Usually caching. Your resolver and theirs may have fetched the record at different times and be holding different snapshots until each one’s TTL expires - see <a href="/answers/how-long-does-dns-propagation-take/">DNS propagation</a>. Less commonly, some networks run split-horizon DNS and deliberately answer internal devices differently from the public internet.

What is the difference between checking with a tool and checking with WHOIS?

DNS records (A, MX, TXT and so on) describe how a domain’s name resolves to servers and services. WHOIS describes who registered the domain and when it expires. They are looked up from entirely different systems - see <a href="/answers/whois-vs-rdap/">WHOIS vs RDAP</a> for the registration side.

Can I check DNS records for a domain I do not own?

Yes - DNS is public by design. Anyone can look up the published records for any domain; only changing them requires access to that domain’s account with its DNS provider.

Need domain and DNS checks inside your own product?

We build WHOIS, RDAP, DNS and SSL lookups as embeddable widgets or a plain JSON API in your branding, wired to your own lead form. Tell us which checks you need and we will send a working demo.