DNS Lookup
What Is a DNS Lookup?
A DNS (Domain Name System) lookup is the process of querying DNS servers to translate a human-readable domain name into the corresponding IP address or retrieve other DNS records. Every time you visit a website, your device performs a DNS lookup behind the scenes to find the server hosting that site. Our free DNS lookup tool lets you perform these queries manually to inspect the DNS configuration of any domain.
The Domain Name System functions as the internet's phone book. Without DNS, you would need to remember numeric IP addresses for every website you visit. DNS records come in several types, each serving a different purpose. An A record maps a domain to an IPv4 address, while an AAAA record maps to an IPv6 address. MX records define which mail servers handle email for a domain, and TXT records store arbitrary text data commonly used for email authentication (SPF, DKIM) and domain verification.
NS records identify the authoritative nameservers for a domain - the servers that hold the definitive DNS records. CNAME records create aliases that point one domain name to another. SOA (Start of Authority) records contain administrative information about the DNS zone, including the primary nameserver, the domain administrator's email, and timing parameters that control how often secondary nameservers check for updates.
Understanding DNS records is essential for website administrators, email deliverability specialists, and network engineers. Misconfigured DNS records can cause websites to become unreachable, email delivery to fail, or security vulnerabilities to appear. Our tool queries Cloudflare's global DNS infrastructure to return results quickly and accurately from anywhere in the world.
Each DNS record also has a TTL (Time To Live) value measured in seconds. This value tells DNS resolvers how long to cache the record before checking for an updated version. Lower TTL values mean changes propagate faster across the internet, while higher values reduce the number of DNS queries and can improve performance. When planning DNS changes, it is common practice to lower the TTL in advance so the transition happens smoothly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a DNS lookup?
A DNS lookup queries the Domain Name System to find the IP address or other records associated with a domain name. When you type a website address in your browser, a DNS lookup translates that human-readable name into the numeric IP address that computers use to communicate.
What are the different DNS record types?
Common DNS record types include: A records (IPv4 addresses), AAAA records (IPv6 addresses), MX records (mail servers), TXT records (text data like SPF and DKIM), NS records (authoritative nameservers), CNAME records (canonical name aliases), and SOA records (start of authority with zone metadata).
How long do DNS records take to propagate?
DNS propagation typically takes between a few minutes and 48 hours, depending on the TTL (Time To Live) value set on the record. Most changes propagate within 1-4 hours. You can use a DNS propagation checker to monitor the progress across different global resolvers.
What does TTL mean in DNS?
TTL (Time To Live) is a value in seconds that tells DNS resolvers how long to cache a record before requesting a fresh copy. A lower TTL means changes propagate faster but generates more DNS queries. A higher TTL reduces load but means changes take longer to spread globally.