How this DNS lookup works
Type a domain (or an IP address) and press Look up. The tool resolves every common record type through Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 public resolver over encrypted DNS-over-HTTPS — proxied through our own server, so unlike browser-only DNS tools it is not blocked by CORS, strict networks or corporate firewalls. Each record is shown with its TTL, and because we don’t cache the answers you always see the current, live records — handy for checking whether a DNS change has taken effect.
DNS record types explained
| Record | What it does |
|---|---|
A | Maps the domain to an IPv4 address — the record a browser follows to reach the site. |
AAAA | Maps the domain to an IPv6 address (the modern, longer address format). |
CNAME | An alias that points this name to another domain name instead of an IP. |
MX | The mail servers that accept email for the domain, each with a priority (lower = preferred). |
NS | The authoritative name servers that hold the domain’s DNS zone. |
TXT | Free-form text records — used for SPF, DKIM, DMARC and domain-ownership verification. |
SOA | Start of Authority: the primary name server, admin email and the zone’s refresh/expiry timers. |
CAA | Lists which certificate authorities are allowed to issue SSL/TLS certificates for the domain. |
Reverse DNS (PTR)
Enter an IPv4 or IPv6 address instead of a domain and the tool automatically runs a reverse-DNS (PTR) lookup — finding the hostname that an IP claims. This is how you check what a mail server calls itself, or trace which host sits behind an address.
DNSSEC & TTL
When the resolver reports an answer as cryptographically validated (the Authenticated-Data flag), you see a DNSSEC validated badge — proof the answer was not tampered with in transit. Each record also shows its TTL (Time To Live): the number of seconds resolvers may cache it before re-checking, which is why DNS changes are not always instant.
Privacy
No sign-up and no logging: we don’t store the domains you look up. The query is resolved server-side over encrypted DNS-over-HTTPS and the result is handed back to your browser — nothing is saved.
- What is a DNS lookup?
- A DNS (Domain Name System) lookup asks the internet’s address book what records a domain has — which IP address it points to (A / AAAA), which servers handle its email (MX), which name servers are authoritative (NS), and more. This tool shows every common record type for a domain in one view.
- Which DNS records does this tool check?
- A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT, SOA and CAA — the records people actually need day to day. Each is shown with its TTL (how long resolvers cache it). Enter an IP address instead of a domain and it performs a reverse-DNS (PTR) lookup automatically.
- What does the DNSSEC badge mean?
- DNSSEC cryptographically signs DNS answers so they cannot be forged in transit. When the resolver reports the answer as validated (the “AD” / Authenticated-Data flag), the tool shows a “DNSSEC validated” badge. “Not signed” simply means the domain has not enabled DNSSEC — it is common and not an error.
- What is TTL?
- TTL (Time To Live) is how many seconds resolvers are allowed to cache a record before checking again. A low TTL (e.g. 300s) means changes take effect quickly; a high TTL (e.g. 86400s = 1 day) means a change can be cached for up to a day before everyone sees it.
- Which resolver does it use, and is it live?
- Records are resolved live through Cloudflare’s public 1.1.1.1 resolver over encrypted DNS-over-HTTPS, proxied through our own server so it works on every network. Results are not cached by us, so you see current answers — useful for checking whether a DNS change has taken effect.
- Is my lookup private?
- We don’t require sign-up and we don’t store the domains you look up. The query is resolved server-side over encrypted DNS-over-HTTPS and the result is returned to your browser; nothing is saved.
- Can I look up an IP address (reverse DNS)?
- Yes — type an IPv4 or IPv6 address and the tool runs a reverse-DNS (PTR) lookup to find the hostname associated with that IP, which is useful for identifying mail servers and diagnosing deliverability.